tibraxy  of  Ithe  Cheolojfcal  ^eroinarp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

Rufus  H.   LeFevre 


BXT87S 
.8.HSD7 


Bishop  James  W.  Hott. 


THE  LIFE  AND  CAREER 


JAMES  WILLIAM  HOTUJULD. 


Late  Bishop  of  the 
United   Brethren   in  Christ 


MARION    R.   DRURY,  D.D. 


With   an   Introduction   by 

LEWIS    BOOKWALTER,   D.D. 

President  Western   College 


Dayton,  Ohio 

United  Brethren   Publishing  House 

1902 


Copyright,  1902 

By  the 

United  Brethren  Publishing  House 


Tn  that  ©hrisiiau  Horn* 

To  TOftoss  spietg  and  Faithfulness 

games  lUilliatn  #ott 

©weed  S0  txwch  for  Iris  Strong  Ljf s  gquipmeut 

This  Tribute  to  bis  TOemorg 

is  S*oirat«ri 

"^flith  Sincerest  Affection 

Sp-His  Frwnri 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/lifecareerofjaOOdrur 


PREFACE. 


The  writing  of  this  book  has  been  a  labor  of  love 
and  gratitude.  It  was  undertaken  at  the  request  of 
Bishop  Hott's  family  and  near  friends,  and  it  has  been 
carried  to  completion  as  early  as  was  consistent  with 
the  painstaking  necessary  to  accuracy  and  thorough- 
ness. The  labor  involved,  with  the  extensive  corre- 
spondence required,  will  be  appreciated  by  all  literary 
workers,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  author 
is  the  busy  pastor  of  a  large  parish. 

The  work  was  greatly  hastened  and  lightened  by  the 
cordial  cooperation  of  the  bishop's  brothers,  J.  E.  and 
G.  P.  Hott,  and  by  his  son-in-law,  J.  G.  Huber,  who 
placed  valuable  materials  at  my  disposal.  A  visit  to 
the  home  of  his  aged  mother  in  Virginia,  and  conver- 
sations with  her,  were  of  great  value  in  bringing  me 
into  sympathetic  touch  with  the  whole  life,  early  and 
later,  which  I  was  to  sketch.  The  time  spent  amid  the 
scenes  of  Mr.  Hott's  childhood  days  and  early  ministry 
was  an  inspiration  to  me,  besides  furnishing  many  im- 
portant facts  and  incidents. 

To  each  and  all  who  have  kindly  given  me  aid  in 
any  way,  I  would  herein  extend  my  most  sincere 
thanks. 

That  the  reader  may  the  better  appreciate  my  connec- 
tion and  labors  with  this  biography,  some  items  some- 
what personal  may  be  permitted.  My  first  personal 
knowledge  of  James  W.  Hott  was  in  the  autumn  of 
1873,  soon  after  his  removal  to  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  his 
entrance  upon  his  work  for  the  Missionary  Society.    I 


vi  Preface 

was  a  student  in  the  theological  Seminary,  and  he  was  a 
well-matured  preacher  and  leader  in  church  work,  and 
then  but  twenty-nine  years  of  age.  During  the  following- 
year,  while  I  was  a  student-pastor,  he  preached  for  me 
at  different  times  and  gave  practical  encouragement  to 
my  work.  My  most  intimate  acquaintance  with  him, 
however,  began  at  the  General  Conference,  at  Lisbon, 
Iowa,  in  May,  1881.  He  was  then  the  editor  of  the 
Religious  Telescope,  and  I  was  the  pastor  of  the  First 
United  Brethren  Church  in  Cedar  Rapids,  and  the  au- 
thorized reporter  of  the  conference  for  a  daily  paper  in 
that  city.  For  some  reason  the  bishop  soon  became 
much  interested  in  the  daily  morning  reports  of  the 
conference  work.  Our  duties  brought  us  much  to- 
gether. 

As  the  conference  was  drawing  to  a  close,  the  bishop 
one  day  asked  me  whether  I  would  take  the  assistant 
editorship  of  the  Telescope  if  it  should  be  tendered 
me.  (It  was  at  this  conference  the  editor  was  given 
authority  to  choose  his  assistant.)  I  said:  "No;  I 
cannot  consider  it.  I  am  engaged  in  important  church 
work  at  Cedar  Rapids,  and  I  cannot  leave."  Nothing 
further  was  said  about  the  matter,  and  I  returned  to 
my  work  and  was  happy  in  it.  About  a  month  after 
the  adjournment  of  the  conference  I  received  a  tele- 
gram informing  me  of  my  appointment  to  the  office 
mentioned.  Being  a  practical  printer,  and  having  had 
considerable  experience  in  writing  for  the  press,  and 
in  harmony  with  the  advice  of  trusted  friends,  I  de- 
cided to  accept  the  proffer  made  me.  I  therefore  soon 
closed  my  pastoral  labors,  and  within  a  few  weeks  be- 
gan my  work  with  the  editor  of  the  Telescope,  a  rela- 
tion in  which  I  spent  eight  happy  years.  At  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  at  Fostoria,  Ohio,  in  1885,  we  were 
both  present  to  report  the  proceedings,  occupying  posi- 
tions facing  each  other  at  the  same  table.  When  the 
announcement  was  made  that  J.  W.  Hott  was  reelected 


Preface  vii 

editor  of  the  Telescope,  he  immediately  whispered 
across  the  table,  "You  are  elected,  too." 

These  were  years  of  congenial  fellowship  and  pleas- 
ant colabor,  in  a  work  in  which  we  found  mutual  de- 
light, and  resulting  in  a  friendship,  making  this  book, 
a  memorial  of  love,  not  only  a  possibility,  but  now  a  joy 
realized. 

It  has  been  thought  best  by  the  publisher  not  to  have 
too  large  a  book,  and  so  I  have  been  compelled  to  con- 
dense and  compress,  and  also  to  omit  many  things 
which  might  otherwise  have  been  recorded  and  have 
had  interest.  But  what  is  put  into  this  life-story  is 
sufficiently  full  to  give  a  clear  and  fair  portraiture  of 
the  life  of  this  noble,  useful,  and  beloved  man. 

That  the  distinguishing  qualities  of  Bishop  James 
W.  Hott,  faith,  love,  and  heart-devotion  to  Christ  and 
to  his  work,  may  be  emulated  and  shared  by  all  who 
peruse  these  pages  is  the  supreme  wish  of  his  friend, 
the  author,  Marion  E.  Drury. 


CONTENTS. 

Preface,  -------  ▼ 

Introduction,  -  -  -  -  -  xr 

CHAPTER  I. 

Ancestry,  Birth,  and  Early  Life. 

Antecedent  Influences— The  Hotts  in  America— Marriage  of 
Parents  of  J.  W.  Hott— Tneir  Character— Their  First-born 
Son— The  Father,  Ministry  and  Death— The  Mother,  Char- 
acter and  Influence— Home  Influences— James  William 
Hott's  Boyhood— Beginnings  in  Sunday  School —Industry 
and  Courage— The  Hott  Home.       -  -  -  21 

CHAPTER  II. 

Early  Education,  Conversion,  and  Call  to  Ministry. 

Family  Inheritance— Home  School— "Subscription  "  School 
—A  Teacher's  Estimate— Debating  Society— University  of 
Life— Conversion— New  Aims— Prayers  Answered  Call 
to  the  Ministry— First  Sermon— Preparatory  Education — 
Higher  Education.  -  -  -  -  -       33 

CHAPTER  III. 
Early  Ministry,  Marriage,  and  Home. 

Beginning  Ministry— Appointed  Junior  Preacher  on  Win- 
chester Circuit  — Civil  War  Experiences  — Success  — Or- 
dained—  New  Suit  of  Clothes  Given  Him  — Marriage  — 
Pastorate  at  Martinsburg— Conference  at  Rohrersville, 
Md.— Edenburg  Pastorate— Church  villePastorate— Elected 
Delegate  to  the  General  Conference— Boonsboro  Pastorate 
—Again  Elected  Delegate  to  General  Conference— Grow- 
ing Popularity— Salaries— Happy  Home— Children.  -       45 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Called  to  a  New  Work. 

Good  Record  in  Ministry— In  the  General  Conference— Vigor 
of  Early  Manhood— Secret  Society  Question— Elected  Mis- 
sionary Treasurer— Removal  to  Dayton— First  Death  in 
Family— Arduous  Work— Centenary  of  the  Church— Re- 
cognized Leadership  —  Happy  Relations  with  General 
Church  Officers.      -  -  -  -  -  -       57 


X  Contents 

CHAPTER  V. 

Editorial  Career. 

Westfleld  General  Conference— Delegate  from  Virginia  Again 
—Elected  Editor  of  the  Religious  Telescope— VJ  hy  Chosen 
to  this  Office— W.  O.  Tobey  Assistant  Editor— New  Edi- 
torial Policy— Qualifications  for  Religious  Editor— Editor- 
ial Greeting  — Hardwork  and  Breakdown  in  Health  — 
General  Conference  of  1881  — Reelected  Editor  — Given 
Power  to  Choose  His  Assistant— Delegate  to  Ecumenical 
Conference — Death  of  His  Father—  Telescope'1  s  Fiftieth  An- 
niversary—Received the  Degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity- 
General  Conference  of  1885— Church  Commission— Dr.  Hott 
a  Member— Editorial  Policy— Versatile  Writer— Courtesy 
to  Opponents — Courage  and  Faithfulness— Qualities  as  an 
Editor.        -  -  -  -  -  -  -       64 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Editorial  Table-Talk. 

Extracts  from  Editorials— Choice  Brief  Utterances.    -  -       78 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Traveler,  Lecturer,  Author. 

Delegate  to  London  Conference—"  Behind  the  Editor's  Back  " 
—Atlantic  Voyage— Tour  through  Ireland  and  Scotland 
—Experiences  and  Privileges  in  London— Travel  Contin- 
ued-In  Paris,  Florence,  Rome,  Athens,  Constantinople- 
Tour  of  Syria  and  Palestine  on  Horseback— In  Egypt- 
Preaching  in  Cairo— Homeward  Journey— Appreciation 
of  Native  Land— Value  of  Foreign  Travel— Lectures— Pop- 
ular Elements— Author  of  Books— Other  Writings— Dis- 
tinctive Qualities  as  Writer.  -  -  -  -       89 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Bishop  and  Church  Leader. 

York  General  Conference— Work  of  Church  Commission  Ap- 
proved—  Division  in  Church— Progressive  Legislation  — 
.1.  W.  Hott  Elected  Bishop— Farewell  to  the  Telescope— 
Dr.  Berger's  Estimate  of  Fitness  for  Bishop's  Office— Paci- 
fic Coast  District— Holding  Conferences— Opposition  of 
Radicals— Removal  of  Family  to  Woodbridge,  California- 
Litigation  in  Oregon— California  Conference— Travel  and 
Work  —  Death  of  a  Brother  — California  State  Sunday- 
School  Convention— Spokane  Church  Dedication— Mis- 
sion Located  at  Los  Angeles— Prosperity  of  Coast  Work 
W.  J.  Shuey's  Visit  to  Coast— Marriage  of  Bishop  Hott's 
Daughters— Dayton  General  Conference— Bishop's  Ad- 
dress—Reelected  Bishop— New  District— Great  Activity- 
Johnstown  Council— School  of  Divinitv  Conducted—  Visit 
to  Africa  and  Germany— Fort  Wayne  Meeting  of  Board  of 
Missions  — Busy  Summer— Winter  in  California  — Los 
Angeles  Church  Dedicated— Received  Degree  of  Doctor  of 
Laws— Biennial  Young  People's  Convention  —  At  Interna- 
tional Christian  Endeavor  Convention— New  Tour  of  Con- 
ferences— Toledo  General  Conference— Reelected  Bishop- 
Stationed  on  Ohio  District— Bible  Conference— Death  of 
Mrs.  Hott— The  Bishop's  Sorrow— Comfort  in  Work.  -      100 


Contents  xi 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Last  General  Conference,  Sickness,  and  Death. 

Centennial  General  Conference-Historic  Places— Centennial 
Address— New  Legislation— Elected  Bishop  for  Fourth 
Time— Taken  Sick— Second  Marriage— Protracted  Illness 
—Vital  Energies  Exhausted— A  Patient  Sufferer— Death- 
Funeral— Burial  in  Woodland  Cemetery— Expressions  of 
Grief.  -  -  -  -  -  .  -     131 

CHAPTER  X. 

Letters. 

^  ishop  Hott  as  a  Letter-Writer— Poor  Penmanship— Letters 

to  His  Mother— Letters  to  M.  R.  Drury.       -  -  -      140 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Preaching  and  Sermons. 

Bishop  Hott  a  Preacher— Results  of  Pastoral  Labors— Charac- 
teristics as  a  Preacher— Ideals  of  Preaching— Sermons  on 
SpecialOccasions— Outlinesof  Sermons— Popular  Preacher 
—Sermon  Preparation,  Power  of  Analysis— "The  New 
Commandment"  — Conference  Sermons  — Last  Sermon.      150 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Domestic  and  Social  Life. 

Love  of  Home  and  Family— Beautiful  Home— Home  Ideals- 
Family  Worship— Hospitality— Always  a  Gentleman- 
Habit  of  Conversation  with  Strangers  — Friends  and 
Friendship  —  Sunny  Side  —  Sense  of  Humor  — Story  of 
Young  Preacher— Social  Light.       -  -  -  -      181 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

An  Appreciation. 

Man  Above  the  Common  Herd— Baby  Named  for  Mr.  Hott— 
Testimonials  of  Early  Friends— Bishop  Dickson's  Esti- 
mate—From Y.  M.  C.  A.  Secretary— Former  Pastor's  Trib- 
ute—Tender Expressions  of  W.  J.  Shuey— Appreciative 
Words  of  Bishops  Kephart  and  Mills— Other  Personal 
Words  — Virginia  Conference  Action  —  Expressions  of 
Church  Boards— Tributes  of  Religious  and  Secular  Press 
—Dr.  Beardshear's  Appreciation—  Best  Monument.  -      189 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Conclusion. 

Bishop  Hott's  Place  as  a  Church  Leader  — Broadminded 
Churchman  — Unspairing  Worker— Broadly  Educated- 
Dominated  by  Religion— Extracts  From  Diary— Loved 
the  House  of  God  and  His  Church— Life  a  Legacy  to 
Friends— Summary.  ...  -  202 

Index.  -  -  -  -  -  •  -     213 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Bishop  Jambs  W.  Hott,  Frontispiece 

Boyhood  Home  of  Jamks  W.  Hott,  25 

Stone  Church  in  Which  Bishop  Hott  Was  Converted,  38 

Pleasant  Valley  Church,  the  Home  Church  of 

Bishop  Hott,          -                         -            -            -  -43 

Jakes  W.  Hott  at  the  Age  of  Twenty,          -  47 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hott  soon  after  Their  Marriage,             -  49 

Mr.  Hott  when  Missionary  Treasurer,          -  59 

Bishop  and  Mrs.  Hott  in  California  in  1890,             -  107 

Aged  Parents  of  Bishop  Hott,       ...             -  142 

Bishop  Hott's  Williams-Street  Home,  Dayton,  Ohio,  183 

Bishop  Hott,  Mother,  Daughter,  and  Granddaughter,  190 


xiil 


INTRODUCTION. 


Biography  possesses  an  interest  peculiarly  its  own. 
A  well-written  sketch  of  a  noble  life  has  a  value  and  a 
charm  second  to  no  other  species  of  writing.  Biog- 
raphy is  but  another  name  for  what  we  call  history, 
and  it  has  been  well  said  that  "history  is  the  essence 
of  innumerable  biographies."  Great  characters  are  the 
embodiment,  the  personification  of  the  best  thought  and 
life  of  their  times.  Such  men  become,  in  turn,  the 
rnolders  of  advancing  thought,  and  finally  the  inspir- 
ing subjects  for  brush  and  chisel  and  pen.  Says  Car- 
lyle,  "There  is  no  heroic  poem  in  the  world  but  is  at 
bottom  a  biography,  the  life  of  a  man." 

To  perpetuate  the  memory  of  those  who  have  lived 
illustrious  lives  is  to  render  to  the  world  a  service  of 
inestimable  value.  Even  the  preserving  of  their  features 
on  canvas  or  in  marble  is  well  worthy  the  effort  of  the 
master  artists,  the  products  of  whose  genius  have 
adorned  the  galleries  and  gardens  of  the  civilized  world. 
But  it  is  the  part  of  the  biographer,  and  his  great  privi- 
lege, not  only  to  hand  down  the  name  and  memory  of 
the  good  and  great,  but  to  portray  and  preserve  their 
very  life  itself,  the  essence  and  secret  of  their  good- 
ness and  greatness.  The  hero  of  the  biographer  does 
not  stand  before  us  a  piece  of  statuary,  but  breathes, 
and  walks,  and  acts,  a  living  man. 

Bishop  James  William  Hott,  whose  biography  is 
given  in  this  volume  by  his  friend.  Dr.  M.  R.  Drury, 
was  a  man  of  rare  gifts  and  intensely  active  life.  His 
career,  so  suddenly  closed,  and,  as  it  seems  to  us,  at 


xvi  Introduction 

the  very  height  of  his  usefulness,  was  one  of  marked 
character.  There  was  a  vigor  and  freshness,  an  energy 
and  boldness,  in  his  life,  and  a  steady  progress  and 
achieving,  which  attracted  early  and  admiring  atten- 
tion and  made  him  a  recognized  and  inspiring  leader. 
He  is  a  splendid  subject  for  a  rarely  interesting  life- 
narrative,  and  the  biographer  has  come  fully  up  to  his 
inviting  task. 

Bishop  Hott  was  a  man  of  versatility  and  wide  range 
of  knowledge.  Although  he  had  not  the  advantages  of 
the  schools  of  higher  learning,  yet  he  was  such  a  tire- 
less student  and  keen  observer  that  he  became,  in  a 
true  sense,  an  educated,  scholarly  man.  He  was  a  vig- 
orous writer,  whether  preparing  an  editorial,  a  maga- 
zine article,  or  a  book.  As  a  preacher  and  lecturer  he 
was  original,  clear,  and  forcible,  and  often  eloquent. 
He  was  a  ready  man  in  an  unusually  wide  field. 

Bishop  Hott,  with  his  clear  ideas  and  strong  nature, 
could  not  but  be  a  man  given  to  having  his  own  opin- 
ions and  expressing  them.  While  always  according  to 
others  the  right  to  their  views,  he  demanded  the  right 
to  adhere  to  his  own.  It  was  his  originality  and  his 
positive,  though  kind,  advocacy  of  his  opinions  which 
made  him  the  valuable  man  in  counsel  and  in  action 
that  he  was,  and  gave  him  the  high  place  he  held  in  the 
general  esteem.  In  the  final  analysis  of  character,  we 
place  our  highest  estimate,  not  upon  the  negative,  but 
the  positive  virtues.  As  says  Holmes,  "We  don't  care 
most  for  those  flat-pattern  flowers  that  press  best  in  the 
herbarium." 

Mr.  Hott's  biographer  has  necessarily  given  the  pic- 
ture, not  of  a  sweet-spirited,  gentle  man  only,  but  the 
picture  of  a  character  in  which  with  the  milder  vir- 
tues are  united  those  vigorous,  positive  traits  which  are 
always  found  in  leaders. 

Bishop  Hott  was  progressive  but  not  radical.  He 
was  tenacious  for  the  valuable  in  the  old,  but  was  ever 


Introduction  xvii 

ready  and  eager  for  any  new  helpful  methods  of  inter- 
preting and  applying  truth.  In  the  recent  past  the 
changes  made  or  attempted  in  almost  all  fields  of 
thought  have  been  so  rapid  and  radical  that  many  men 
have  either  fallen  behind  and  gotten  out  of  joint  with 
the  times,  or  have  been  swept  off  their  feet.  Bishop 
Hott  was  possessed  of  that  mental  acuteness  and  that 
intellectual  grasp  which  combined  to  make  him  both 
ready  and  rational  in  handling  the  great  questions  of 
the  hour. 

His  career  covers  a  period  in  our  Church  when  its 
life  was  unfolding  and  strength  developing  the  most 
rapidly,  a  period  of  our  history  the  most  marked  by 
progressive  thought  and  measures.  He  was  in  the 
forefront  of  every  forward  movement.  He  was  a  val- 
uable man  during  times  when  broadening  views  and  a 
larger  future  required  an  intelligent,  judicious,  and 
forcible  presentation  before  the  Church.  His  biog- 
raphy, hence,  is  also  a  history  of  this  intensely  inter- 
esting period  of  the  Church's  life,  and  so  possesses 
special  interest  and  value. 

If  it  were  asked  of  the  writer  that  he  name  that 
special  gift  or  trait  of  Bishop  Hott's  which -made  him 
the  strong,  marked  man  he  was,  the  reply  would  be  that, 
in  his  judgment,  his  strength  of  character  did  not  lie 
in  the  possession  of  any  one  gift  in  a  remarkable  de- 
gree, but  rather  in  having  a  remarkably  well-rounded 
general  endowment;  and  in  that  these  well-propor- 
tioned capacities  were  all  developed  together  with  un- 
usual judgment,  care,  and  persistence.  Bishop  Hott, 
hence,  was  one  of  the  readiest  and  ablest  all-round  men 
one  would  meet.  Many  men  were  stronger  in  some  few 
fields,  but  few  men  so  strong  in  so  many  fields  of 
thought  and  effort;  and,  always,  in  every  field,  there 
was  that  accompanying  vigor,  directness,  and  prac- 
ticality which  in  such  a  marked  way  was  characteris- 
tic of  the  man.     Hence  it  was  that  he  was  always— a 

2 


xviii  Introduction 

strong  statement,  but  true — he  was  always  equal  to  the 
occasion.  Also,  in  his  performance  of  regular  duties 
there  was  a  delightful  originality  and  freshness;  he 
seemed  never  to  drop  into  mere  treadmill  routine. 

Bishop  Hott  had  a  great  heart ;  he  was  whole-souled, 
philanthropic,  full  of  the  juice  of  humanity,  one  who 
rejoiced  with  those  who  rejoiced  and  wept  with  those 
who  wept.  His  heart-power  was  a  prominent,  all- 
pervasive  element  of  his  strength.  He  was  "fervent 
in  spirit."  Along  with  the  deliberate  convictions  of  his 
mind  went  the  warm  impulses  of  his  heart.  With  him, 
to  believe  in  a  cause  was  to  throw  his  whole  soul  into 
it;  to  esteem  a  man  was  to  be  his  friend;  to  believe  in 
the  Christ  was  to  love  him.  What  has  been  named 
"energy"  in  his  nature  would  perhaps  be  better  called 
"ardor,"  "devotedness." 

There  was,  after  all,  one  supreme  element  in  Bishop 
Hott's  character,  one  determining  force  at  the  center 
of  his  life — his  lofty  devotion  to  Christ  and  the  pro- 
motion of  his  kingdom  in  the  earth.  From  his  entrance 
upon  his  life-work  in  early  youth,  through  all  the  years, 
in  every  field  to  which  the  Church  called  him,  his  de- 
votement  of  himself  was  complete.  He  gave  himself 
to  his  sacred  work  in  every  energy  of  soul  and  body, 
without  stint,  and  often,  as  it  would  seem,  beyond  his 
strength.  He  stands  forth  as  an  illustrious  example 
of  the  best  type  of  self-sacrificing  service.  We  con- 
template his  noble  life  only  with  admiration ;  we  be- 
come inspired  with  like  high  ambitions.  It  is  this 
heroic,  tireless  devotion  which  so  signally  characterized 
the  living  man  that  gives  to  this  faithful,  true  sketch 
of  his  life  its  vigor  and  sustained  interest. 

The  biographer,  Dr.  Drury,  having  been  so  long  and 
intimately  associated  with  Dr.  Hott  in  the  editorial 
work  of  the  Religious  Telescope,  is  especially  qualified 
to  give  to  the  Church  and  world  the  true  story  of  his 
life.     No  time  or  labor  has  been  spared  in  gathering 


Introduction  xix 

material  touching  all  periods  of  Mr.  Hott's  career,  from 
original  sources.  The  general  plan  of  the  book  is  well 
devised,  its  outline  in  chapters  is  especially  skillful, 
and  the  whole  is  wrought  out,  down  to  well-chosen 
particulars,  with  admirable  tact  and  taste. 

Our  Church  literature  is  becoming  rich  in  biography. 
The  older  leaders  have  been  passing  away,  and  volume 
is  following  volume  of  the  record  of  their  noble  lives. 
There  are  no  books  we  prize  more  highly  than  these. 

Another  leader  has  left  us,  and  now,  to  the  cherished 
list  of  biographies  is  added  this  one,  the  authorized 
and  full  memoir  of  our  so  recently  lamented  Bishop 
Hott.  The  merit  of  the  man  and  the  merit  of  the  book 
will  make  this  a  widely-read  volume. 

L.    BOOKWALTER. 

Toledo,  Iowa,  September  13,  1902. 


THE  LIFE  AND  CAREER  OF 
JAMES  WILLIAM  HOTT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Ancestry,  Birth,  and  Early  Life. 

To  be  well  born  is  a  heritage  of  inestimable  worth. 
Parentage,  however,  is  not  everything  in  determining 
character  or  in  shaping  destiny.  There  are  other  fac- 
tors which  must  be  taken  into  the  account  when  the 
sum  total  of  life  is  made  up.  These  include  that  mys- 
terious power  known  as  environment,  education,  and 
religion;  for  it  must  be  admitted  that,  however  noble 
may  be  the  blood  of  one's  ancestry,  he  is  not  thereby 
guaranteed  nobility  in  character  and  life.  There  must 
enter  into  any  human  excellence  the  elements  of  choice 
and  high  purpose,  for  without  these  even  the  best  in- 
herited family  traits  and  favoring  external  influences 
will  be  unavailing. 

Still,  it  must  be  accepted  as  true,  that,  primarily, 
the  preponderating  characteristics  of  a  life,  moral  and 
intellectual,  as  well  as  physical,  are  inherited.  Hence 
it  is  that  in  the  study  of  a  man's  character,  and  in 
making  an  estimate  of  his  strength  and  worth,  it  is 
necessary  to  know  something  of  antecedent  bloods  and 
tendencies.  This  knowledge  will  serve  as  a  key  to  the 
life,  or  as  the  stream  leading  to  its  distant  and  vital 
sources. 

Next  to  this  study,  early  home  influences  must 
be   considered.     In  what  atmosphere  did  the  young 

21 


22      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

human  plant  grow  ?  What  of  the  influence  of  parental 
character  and  government  ?  Here  will  be  found  forces 
which  have  had  a  lasting  effect  on  the  after  life  that 
well  deserve  earnest  contemplation.  This  is  all  the 
more  true  when  the  early  training  produces  such  per- 
manent impressions  as  those  so  clearly  manifest  in  the 
character  and  career  of  James  William  Hott. 

The  history  of  the  Hotts  in  America  embraces  a 
period  of  nearly  two  hundred  years.  Though  the  head 
of  the  family  came  from  Germany,  his  ancestors  were 
originally  from  France,  whence  they  were  driven  be- 
cause of  their  Protestant  faith,  finding  a  refuge  and 
a  home  on  German  soil.  From  there  they  came  to  this 
country  many  years  before  the  Revolutionary  War, 
one  branch  of  the  family  becoming  the  owners  of  large 
tracts  of  land  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley,  in  Virginia. 

They  were  a  patriotic  and  liberty-loving  people.  At 
least  one  member  of  the  family,  George  Hott,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  war  for  American  independence,  and  his 
musket,  a  relic  of  historic  interest,  is  still  preserved. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  biography  was 
Jacob  F.  Hott.  On  the  17th  of  August,  1843,  he  was 
married  to  Jane  Streit,  a  noble  young  woman  reared  in 
his  own  neighborhood.  She  was  a  year  younger  than 
himself  and  was  of  Scotch-German  ancestry.  This 
union  of  sturdy  and  unlike  types,  mental  and  other- 
wise, proved  a  most  happy  one.  Their  very  dissimilari- 
ties made  each  the  fitting  complement  of  the  other. 
The  limitations  in  one  were  well  balanced  by  the 
other's  stronger  qualities.  Both  were  unselfish  to  a 
notable  degree,  losing  sight  of  every  personal  desire 
and  purpose  in  the  sublime  and  holy  end  of  their  united 
lives.  This  must  be  regarded  as  the  secret  of  their 
happy  home,  for  their  home  was  one  of  uniform  and 
joyous  content,  a  condition  not  possible  where  selfish- 
ness reigns  in  either  the  wife  or  the  husband.     Unsel- 


Ancestry,  Birth,  and  Early  Life  23 

fish  love  alone  can  make  marriage  a  blessing  and  home 
a  refuge  of  peace  and  delight.  Such  affection  prompts 
the  sweetest  courtesies  and  inspires  the  most  perfect 
and  unwavering  devotion. 

In  the  light  of  the  best  human  experience,  and  of 
that  home  now  under  review,  the  following  lines  have  a 
profound  meaning : 

"For  marriage,  good  friend,  is  a  problem 
Resolved  by  this  golden  key- 
If  each  one  will  live  for  the  other, 
Your  home  like  a  heaven  will  be." 

For  this  home,  begun  and  maintained  in  mutual  love 
and  confidence,  a  good  foundation  was  laid  years  be- 
fore. Both  the  husband  and  wife  were  converted  at 
an  early  age.  Long  before  their  marriage  their  lives 
were  consecrated  to  unselfish  living,  and  at  once  they 
identified  themselves  with  the  people  of  God,  becoming 
members  of  the  Church  of  the  United  Brethren  in 
Christ. 

Jacob  F.  Hott  was  reared  under  Lutheran  influences, 
being  carefully  instructed  in  the  catechism  of  that  de- 
nomination. His  conversion  took  place  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  under  the  labors  of  a  young  minister  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church.  This  event  won  his  heart 
and  life  for  loyal  service  in  the  Church  through  whose 
agency  he  had  thus  been  led  to  take  upon  himself  the 
vows  of  Christian  living.  He  always  remained  de- 
votedly attached  to  the  Church  of  his  early  choice.  He 
and  Jacob  Markwood,  the  brilliant  and  eloquent  bishop 
in  later  years,  became  members  of  the  Church  at  the 
same  time. 

After  their  marriage,  Jacob  and  Jane  Hott  settled 
on  a  farm  eight  miles  north  of  Winchester,  Frederick 
County,  Virginia,  which  had  belonged  to  the  Hott  fam- 
ily since  1740,  the  deed  of  that  date  bearing  the  seal 
of  King  George.  This  is  in  the  far-famed  Shenandoah 
Valley,  a  valley  as  remarkable  for  the  noble  men  and 


24      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

women  it  has  produced  as  for  its  picturesque  land- 
scapes and  the  fruitfulness  of  its  gardens  and  fields. 
Indeed,  in  the  estimates  of  highest  values,  it  is  more 
distinguished  for  its  homoculture  than  for  its  agri- 
culture. No  greater  tribute  can  be  paid  to  any  country 
than  that  it  produces  men — pure,  broad-minded,  stal- 
wart men — men  whose  greatness  is  measured  by  their 
usefulness  to  their  fellows. 

It  was  in  this  beautiful  historic  valley,  at  the  quiet 
retreat  of  a  typical  rural  home,  that  James  William 
Hott  was  born,  November  15,  1844.  He  was  the  first 
child  to  make  his  advent  into  that  new  home,  where  a 
consecrated  shrine  had  already  been  established,  and 
where  God  was  reverently  and  habitually  worshiped. 
It  was  here,  within  sacred  portals,  that  a  new  life  was 
planted  and  a  new  career  begun.  It  was  here  that 
this  life  early  grew  downward,  its  roots  taking  a  deep 
hold  on  truth  and  piety,  and  upward,  into  the  beauty, 
fragrance,  and  fruitage  of  manly  character  and  useful 
endeavor. 

In  the  early  years  of  this  child,  his  father,  through 
his  activity  and  helpful  services  in  prayer  and  revival 
meetings,  was  led  into  the  gospel  ministry.  His  health, 
however,  not  being  vigorous,  his  work  in  this  capacity 
was  chiefly  as  a  local,  or  speaking  more  accurately,  as 
a  lay  preacher.  Though  bearing  a  preacher's  license 
from  the  quarterly  conference  for  many  years,  he  was 
not  received  into  Virginia  Conference  till  1859.  He 
then  completed  the  course  of  ministerial  study,  as  re- 
quired by  the  Church,  and  was  ordained.  His  labors 
as  a  minister,  however,  continued  as  before,  being  con- 
fined to  preaching  in  destitute  localities  where  open- 
ings for  evangelistic  work  presented  themselves,  and 
in  assisting  presiding  elders  and  pastors  in  revival  and 
other  meetings.  He  was,  in  fact,  throughout  a  period 
of  more  than  forty  years,  a  missionary  preacher. 

It  was  on  a  beautiful  Sunday,  August  31,  1884,  after 


Ancestry,  Birth,  and  Early  Life  25 

having  taught  his  class  in  Sunday  school  and  having 
participated  in  the  public  services  in  the  old  Pleasant 
Valley  Church,  the  meeting-house  near  by,  where  the 
family  worshiped  for  many  years,  the  Kev.  Jacob  F. 
Hott  suddenly  came  to  the  end  of  his  earth-life,  at  the 
age  of  nearly  sixty-three  years.  This  humble  and 
faithful  man,  useful  and  honored  and  beloved,  died  as 
he  lived,  surrounded  by  his  kindred,  with  abounding 
devotion  to  Christ  and  the  Church.  His  last  words 
were,  "Oh,  how  light!"  and  the  promise  of  old,  "At 
evening  time  it  shall  be  light,"  had  a  strange,  though 
significant  fulfillment. 

The  mother  of  James  W.  Hott  still  lives  on  the  old 
Pleasant  Valley  farm.  In  the  eighty-first  year  of  her 
age,  with  faculties  well  preserved,  the  sun  of  her  life 
having  a  golden  setting  outrivaling  the  coming  on  of 
the  evening  time  under  far-famed  Italian  skies.  She 
is  not  only  in  a  very  worthy  sense  a  mother  in  Israel, 
but  she  is  still  the  mother  of  her  children,  with  all  the 
fondness  and  devotion  of  her  early  motherhood.  She 
still  calls  her  first-born  "Jimmie,"  or  "James  William," 
and  habitually  speaks  of  him  with  reverent  affection. 
Though  tenderly  cherishing  the  sweet  memories  of  the 
years  gone,  she  does  not  live  in  the  past.  Her  radiant 
face  is  steadfastly  set  to  the  future,  and  her  spirit  is 
strong  with  the  Christian's  courage  and  hope. 

Throughout  her  life  her  intellectual  acuteness  was 
not  more  marked  than  the  constancy  of  her  religious 
life.  She  was  not  only  a  mother  to  her  children,  but 
she  was  their  teacher  and  ideal  in  nobleness  of  charac- 
ter and  conduct.  By  both  precept  and  example  she 
permanently  impressed  herself  on  their  affections  and 
life.  She  lived  for  them,  not  simply  to  enjoy  them, 
but  that  she  might  rear  them  to  nobility  and  useful- 
ness. To  this  end  she  devoted  her  best  energies,  and 
at  the  same  time  was  never  unmindful  of  her  daily 
need   of  heavenly  guidance.      She  was,  therefore,   a 


26      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

woman  of  prayer.  She  oft  gathered  her  darling  babes 
in  her  arms  alone  and  about  the  family  hearth  in  tear- 
ful, believing  intercession,  while  her  husband  was  away 
preaching  the  word  of  Christ. 

These  were  the  parents  of  James  William  Hott. 
These  were  the  guardian  angels  of  the  tender  years  of 
his  childhood.  These  were  the  home  teachers,  whose 
household  was  ever  subject  to  rules  of  piety  and  who 
conscientiously  sought  to  follow  the  apostolic  injunc- 
tion to  bring  up  their  children  in  "the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord."  There  was  never  any  dis- 
agreement between  them  in  matters  of  family  govern- 
ment and  discipline.  How  successful  they  were  in 
meeting  their  parental  obligations  is  impressively 
shown  in  the  lives  of  their  offspring. 

It  will  serve  to  enhance  the  lesson  of  the  quality  of 
parental  influence  to  remember  that  when  their  son 
was  a  boy  there  were  no  free  schools  in  Virginia,  and 
that  there  was  then  no  juvenile  literature  worthy  the 
name.  He  was  a  lad  nearly  ten  years  of  age  before  the 
Children's  Friend,  the  first  child's  paper  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  was  founded.  That  was  before  the 
age  of  children's  books,  too.  What  was,  therefore,  lack- 
ing then  in  books  and  schools  and  other  now  prevalent 
agencies  for  the  development  of  noble  character,  made 
the  child  dependent  for  wise  training  on  contact  with 
nature  and  the  refining  and  molding  influence  of  the 
home  life.  That  there  were  advantages  in  this  kind  of 
a  school  cannot  be  questioned,  but  there  were  likewise 
very  great  disadvantages,  which  we  can  hardly  ap- 
preciate in  these  days  of  superior  educational  and  re- 
ligious privileges. 

There  were  many  things  which  had  great  power  in 
shaping  the  life  of  this  youth.  One  was  the  unre- 
stricted freedom  of  his  country  home.  Another  was 
its  moral  atmosphere.  whi<m  was  as  pure  and  stimulat- 
ing as  was  the  air  of  the  mountains  plainly  visible 


Ancestry,  Birth,  and  Early  Life  27 

from  his  dooryard.  What  a  place  for  a  bright,  earnest, 
and  affectionate  boy  to  grow  up,  and  in  which  to  re- 
ceive his  first  lessons  in  essential  virtue!  It  is  not 
strange  that  these  scenes  and  influences  of  his  child- 
hood should  have  made  a  lasting  impression  on  his 
mind,  and  that  in  later  years  he  should  so  often  have 
spoken  with  deepest  gratitude  of  his  father  and  mother 
and  his  early  home. 

When  James  William  Hott  was  a  small  boy  the 
Sunday  school  was  practically  in  its  infancy,  being 
comparatively  a  new  agency  for  religious  teaching  and 
training.  He  was  a  Sunday-school  scholar,  however, 
from  very  tender  years.  As  was  the  custom  in  rural 
districts  in  those  days,  the  school  was  confined  to  the 
summer  months.  There  were  no  helps  then  for  either 
scholars  or  teachers.  The  one  text-book  was  the  Bible, 
or,  more  strictly  speaking,  the  New  Testament.  The 
teaching  for  the  most  part  was  simple,  and  consisted 
in  having  the  pupils  read  the  Scriptures  and  commit 
particular  portions  to  memory.  This,  however,  was  a 
very  effective  kind  of  teaching  then,  as  it  is  to-day, 
and  must  ever  be.  To  know  the  Word  of  God  is  itself 
a  practical  education. 

This  boy  was  only  seven  years  old  when  his  mother 
presented  him  with  a  small  pocket  edition  of  the  New 
Testament.  To-day  that  little  book  is  among  her  choice 
keepsakes.  Though  the  daily  companion  of  a  growing 
and  studious  lad  for  many  years  in  field  and  shop  and 
home,  showing  the  marks  of  rugged  usage,  it  is  still 
well  preserved. 

He  was  but  nine  years  of  age  when  he  had  for  his 
teacher  in  the  Sunday  school,  one  summer,  William 
Meracle,  who  is  still  living  at  Holla,  Missouri.  He 
says  he  remembers  well  when  Jimmie  Hott  learned 
the  Ten  Commandments.  He  had  offered  a  prize  of  a 
little  book  to  the  member  of  his  class  who  would  com- 
mit the  commandments  to  memory.     When  the  time 


28      lAfe  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

came  for  the  memory-contest  the  boy  Jimmie  was  in 
his  place,  eager  and  expectant.  His  feet  did  not  reach 
the  floor  as  he  sat  on  the  rude  church  seat,  but  were 
kept  swinging  in  mid  air,  as  his  eyes  sparkled  and  his 
heart  throbbed  with  excited  interest  in  the  occasion. 
In  due  time  his  turn  came  to  recite.  He  got  down  on 
the  floor,  stood  erect,  with  his  head  little  higher  than 
the  backs  of  the  seats,  and  repeated  the  commandments 
"by  heart"  with  perfect  ease,  winning  the  prize,  which 
he  kept  and  cherished  throughout  his  life. 

The  extremely  sensitive  nature  of  this  country  lad 
quickly  responded  to  the  free  surroundings  of  his  child- 
hood home.  The  open  fields,  skirted  by  woods  of  oak, 
pine,  walnut,  and  other  trees,  with  their  wild  flowers 
and  the  music  of  birds,  were  his  playground  and  gym- 
nasium. The  little  daily  events  happening  about  his 
home  had  entrancing  interest  to  him — the  visits  of 
kindred  and  itinerant  preachers,  the  Sunday  services 
in  the  neighboring  meeting-house,  companionship  with 
other  children,  the  conversation  in  the  family  circle, 
all  these  fairly  invested  his  simple  rural  life  with  a 
magical  charm  and  power. 

The  whole  period  of  his  childhood  was  one  in  which 
simplicity  and  contentment  were  happily  blended,  a 
period  which  he  always  looked  back  to  with  a  peculiar 
fondness.  He  never  lost  sympathetic  touch  with  the 
humble  conditions  of  his  budding  life. 

To  the  moral  character  and  practical  wisdom  of  his 
home  associations  must  be  attributed,  largely,  the  in- 
fluences which  silently  and  surely  were  used  to  make 
the  future  man.  Natural  scenery  and  rural  life  no 
doubt  had  their  potency,  but  without  the  diligent  train- 
ing of  godly  parents,  a  country  retreat,  even  free  from 
moral  taint,  would  have  been  insufficient  for  the  best 
character-building.  And  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  most 
of  the  great  men  and  women  of  civilized  lands  have 
passed  their  early  years  in  rural  surroundings,  in  coun- 


Ancestry,  Birth,  and  Early  Life  29 

try  homes,  amid  scenes  of  transforming  purity  and 
power. 

James  Hott  was  always  regarded  a  good  boy,  though 
he  had  a  temper  that  sometimes  well  nigh  got  the  mas- 
tery of  him.  He  was  good  in  a  relative  sense.  Despite 
his  faults,  for  he  had  them  in  youth  as  well  as  in  after 
life,  he  was  noble-hearted,  industrious,  honest,  truth- 
ful, obedient,  and  trustworthy.  He  was  a  genuine  boy, 
loving  fun,  and  being  fond  of  all  kinds  of  boyish  sports 
and  games.  He  was  skillful  in  running  and  jumping, 
and  was  an  expert  player  of  "corner  ball,"  a  game  much 
indulged  in  in  his  school  days.  Though  not  possessing 
a  large  or  strong  body,  he  was  nevertheless  so  vigorous 
and  quick  in  his  movements  that  he  easily  became  a 
leader  in  exercises  of  an  athletic  sort. 

His  ready  wit,  keen  sense  of  humor,  and  abounding 
good  nature,  not  only  won  him  friends,  but  made  him 
a  delightful  and  trusted  companion. 

These  characteristics  were  notably  present  with  him 
throughout  his  life.  In  his  manhood  years  he  could 
easily  be  a  boy  again.  (A  man  is  to  be  pitied  who  lacks 
this  ability.)  They  strikingly  exhibited  themselves  in 
his  sympathetic  appreciation  of  the  freedom  and  play- 
fulness of  children  and  their  love  of  nature  and  out- 
door activities,  and  at  times  were  manifest  in  his 
somewhat  dramatic  habits  in  pulpit  and  platform 
addresses. 

His  industry  and  skill  in  farm  labor,  in  the  use  of 
the  ax,  and  his  aptness  with  tools  in  making  pieces 
of  household  furniture,  among  which  is  a  walnut  rock- 
ing-chair still  prized  and  well  preserved,  were  promi- 
nent features  of  his  early  life.  In  his  youth  he  was 
courageous,  often  to  the  point  of  recklessness.  He 
seemed  naturally  to  be  without  fear.  His  favorite 
method  of  "breaking"  wild  colts  was  to  go  to  the  field, 
drive  the  horses  into  a  corner,  and  then  leap  upon  the 
one  to  be  broken,  and,  without  bridle  or  saddle,  ride 


30      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

it,  despite  the  most  vigorous  protests,  till  perfectly  sub- 
dued. 

Once  during  his  young  manhood  the  locks  on  the 
doors  of  his  father's  barn  were  broken  and  two  fine 
horses  were  stolen.  It  was  about  midnight  when  the 
theft  occurred.  Being  awakened  by  a  faithful  dog, 
and  finding  the  horses  gone,  James  quickly  ran  to  a 
neighbor's,  took  a  fine  racer  from  the  stable  without 
leave,  and  started  in  pursuit  of  the  thieves.  Anticipat- 
ing the  course  they  would  take,  he  took  a  shorter  but 
quite  precipitous  route  through  the  woods.  He  soon 
overtook  them,  and  at  his  call  they  abandoned  their 
booty  and  fled.  He  returned  home  about  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning  with  the  horses,  singing  and  whistling 
over  his  triumph,  as  he  came  up  the  road. 

This  quality  of  courage,  that  served  the  boy  and  the 
young  man  so  well  on  many  occasions,  was  likewise  of 
inestimable  value  in  the  great  battles  of  manhood's 
years.  In  this  as  well  as  in  other  respects  there  is  a 
clear  verification  of  the  saying,  "The  boy  is  father  to 
the  man." 

The  house  constituting  his  childhood  home  is  in  a 
good  state  of  preservation  and  in  use,  being  occupied 
by  his  mother  and  his  sister  and  her  family.  It  has  two 
parts,  a  brick,  built  about  eighty  years  ago,  and  a  log 
part  that  is  more  than  one  hundred  years  old.  The 
structure  is  oblong  in  shape,  and  has  a  roomy  porch 
along  the  entire  south  side.  It  is  a  spacious  two- 
story  house  with  eight  rooms,  and  has  the  characteris- 
tic kitchen  fireplace  of  the  olden  time.  It  stands  at 
the  edge  of  a  beautiful  meadow,  with  surroundings  of 
trees  and  farm  buildings  much  as  they  were  fifty  and 
more  years  ago.  Near  by  is  an  old  building,  now  used 
as  a  shop,  which  was  once  the  dwelling  of  Christian 
Crum,  of  historic  memory,  whose  hospitality  Bishop 
Newcomer  and  other  pioneer  preachers  shared.  Here 
they  preached,  and  built  the  first  altars  of  the  United 


Ancestry,  Birth,  and  Marly  Life  31 

Brethren  Church  in  that  section.  These  facts  give  to 
this  homestead  more  than  ordinary  historic  promi- 
nence and  interest. 

The  Hott  home  was  always  a  place  where  itinerant 
preachers  were  heartily  welcomed.  Many  availed  them- 
selves of  its  hospitable  entertainment  and  fellowship. 
The  impressions  of  these  associations  were  deep  and 
abiding  on  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  children,  espe- 
cially of  James  William,  who  found  great  delight  in 
caring  for  the  visitors'  horses,  and  in  listening  to  their 
conversation  in  the  family,  in  which  ofttimes  thrilling 
incidents  and  experiences  were  related.  Among  the 
esteemed  visitors  here  were  J.  J.  Glossbrenner  and 
Jacob  Markwood,  afterwards  bishops,  John  Haney, 
G.  W.  Statton,  W.  K.  Coursey,  J.  Bachtel,  C.  B.  Ham- 
mack,  H.  B.  Winton,  Geo.  B.  Bimel,  and  I.  Baltzell. 
That  these  fathers  of  the  Church  in  Virginia  had  a 
mighty  influence  on  the  life  and  work  of  this  youth  is 
clearly  evidenced  by  his  frequent  and  cordial  references 
to  them  in  after  years. 

These,  and  other  ministers  of  different  churches,  lit- 
tle suspected  at  the  time  how  their  lives  were  studied 
and  copied  by  the  children  in  that  home,  especially 
how  the  manners,  tone  of  voice,  gesture,  and  move- 
ments were  imitated  by  the  boys.  Of  course,  this  was 
done  in  due  reverence  and  with  profound  respect  for 
the  noble  men  themselves.  This  mingling  with  so 
many  preachers,  so  diversified  in  dress,  habits,  and 
other  distinguishing  traits,  led  them  to  the  copying 
of  faults  and  crudities  as  well  as  qualities  of  manly 
excellence.  At  one  time  during  a  ministerial  associa- 
tion when  a  number  of  preachers  were  staying  in  their 
home,  it  some  way  became  known  that  the  boys  were 
good  in  mimicry,  and  they  were  persuaded  to  give  an 
exhibition  of  their  aptness  in  imitating  certain 
preachers,  which  they  did  to  the  great  amusement  of 
their  ministerial   auditors.     But  it  should  be   stated 


32      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  JtLott 

here  that  the  parents  never  permitted  the  caricature 
of  even  the  faults  or  eccentricities  of  God's  ministers 
by  their  children,  as  they  did  not  the  arguing  of  ques- 
tions where  two  evils  were  compared  or  against  con- 
scientious convictions. 

Under  the  influences  which  have  been  indicated, 
James  W.  Hott,  in  his  boyhood,  learned  to  love  his 
home  and  the  Church  of  his  parents.  In  the.se  two  in- 
stitutions, primarily  and  essentially,  the  foundations 
of  his  symmetrical  life-structure  were  deeply  and 
firmly  laid.  The  impressions  and  memories  of  these 
f ormative  years  he  always  cherished  with  devout  thank- 
fulness. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Early  Education,  Conversion,  and  Call  to 
the  Ministry. 

Too  much  must  not  be  ascribed  to  the  family  an- 
cestry or  to  the  inherited  qualities  of  him  whose  biog- 
raphy is  herein  given.  Already  reference  has  been  made 
to  his  worthy  parentage,  and  some  allusion  has  been 
made  to  the  characteristics  which  came  to  him  by  in- 
heritance; but  if  his  success  and  eminence  were  to  be 
attributed  to  these  alone,  he  must  be  set  down  as  a 
genius,  as  having  gifts  of  an  extraordinary  character, 
and  his  career,  therefore,  would  be  without  practical 
lessons  to  people  generally.  If,  then,  the  study  of  his 
life  is  to  be  helpful  in  stimulating  youthful  ambition 
and  achievement  and  in  giving  manly  courage  and 
purpose  and  power  in  life's  best  endeavors,  he  must  be 
presented,  as  he  was  indeed,  as  a  man  among  men. 
Some  men  may  be  born  great,  but  surely  not  many. 
The  one  test  of  human  greatness  given  by  our  Lord  is 
usefulness,  as  shown  in  ability  and  disposition  to  serve 
others.  So,  in  the  present  instance  it  shall  be  the  pur- 
pose to  show  that  the  influences  and  means  leading  to 
his  successful  life  are  such  as  others  have  and  may 
utilize  if  they  choose  to  do  so.  Chief  among  the  forces 
contributing  to  human  success  is  not  genius,  unless  it 
be  the  genius  of  a  noble  soul  joined  with  hard  work. 
But  even  such  a  genius  as  that  must  find  its  main- 
spring and  guiding  power  in  early  education. 

It  is  training  that  makes  a  career  of  eminence  and 
value  possible.  It  is  study  and  industry  beginning  in 
childhood.  This  is  the  divine  law,  and  it  is  the  human 
8  33 


34      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

law  as  well,  for  it  has  its  root  in  the  law  of  human 
necessity  and  possibility.  It  is  enforced  by  direct  di- 
vine precept,  as  also  by  numerous  illustrious  examples 
from  Moses  down  to  the  present  time. 

So,  in  looking  for  the  natural  causes  and  influences 
which  may  be  regarded  as  primary  in  the  attainments 
and  prominence  of  James  W.  Hott,  we  shall  not  find 
them  in  his  excellent  family  inheritance,  or  in  any- 
thing peculiar  to  himself.  Rather,  we  shall  find  them 
in  his  early  education,  in  the  wise  use  he  made  of  his 
opportunities  for  study  and  learning.  The  real 
training  for  his  life  work  was  received  in  the  home 
rather  than  in  the  school.  His  home  was  the  chief 
school  of  his  boyhood.  His  first  and  most  diligent 
teachers  were  his  parents,  who  cared  more  for  their 
children's  moral  and  mental  culture  than  they  did  that 
they  might  shine  in  society,  acquire  wealth,  or  attain 
to  worldly  fame.  The  school  they  kept  was  one  of  stand- 
ard excellence.  That  it  was  chiefly  a  Bible  school, 
with  its  lessons  taught  in  informal  conversations  and 
illustrated  in  noble  thinking  and  living,  detracts  noth- 
ing from  its  educational  power  and  value.  It  gave 
a  healthful  stimulus  to  reading  and  inquiry.  But 
here  there  were  limitations.  While  the  home  library 
contained  some  valuable  books,  there  were  few  of  a 
character  suited  to  a  boy's  mind.  And  yet  it  was  por- 
ing over  such  volumes  as  were  here  found,  especially 
at  night,  by  the  aid  of  the  dim  pine  light  in  the  old- 
fashioned  fireplace,  that  enabled  him  to  lay  so  well  the 
foundations  of  knowledge  and  power  of  thought  that  so 
distinguished  him  in  his  mature  years.  His  insatiable 
mental  thirst  was  the  key  which  unlocked  the  treasure- 
houses  which  yielded  to  him  these  rich  acquisitions. 

The  lessons  of  that  fireplace,  with  its  flickering  light, 
were  never  forgotten.  Through  all  his  public  life,  the 
sermons  and  addresses,  editorial  and  other  writings,  of 
James  W.  Hott,  fairly  sparkled  with  the  light  kindled 


Conversion  and  Call  to  the  Ministry  35 

at  that  home  hearth.  But  he  was  not  wholly  without 
other  school  opportunities.  His  parents  gave  him  the 
best  advantages  of  this  kind  that  their  community  af- 
forded. These  were  furnished  in  the  "subscription" 
schools  held  one  "quarter,"  about  sixty  days,  each  win- 
ter in  the  neighborhood.  The  first  school  of  this  char- 
acter that  he  attended  was  held  in  an  apartment  of  the 
Green  Spring  "Stone  Church,"  fitted  up  for  school 
purposes,  about  a  mile  from  his  home.  This  church  is 
still  standing,  with  the  wooden  partition  separating 
the  schoolroom  from  the  place  of  worship.  It  was 
erected  about  the  year  1811,  and  is  now  little  more  than 
a  silent  landmark  of  past  generations.  Later,  a  frame 
schoolhouse  wa3  erected  in  another  part  of  the  com- 
munity, evidencing  the  educational  spirit  of  the  peo- 
ple, where  a  like  school  was  held,  supported  by  those 
who  appreciated  and  used  its  advantages. 

The  school  education  of  this  boy  was  limited  to  the 
opportunities  afforded  by  schools  of  this  primitive  type. 
After  he  was  old  enough  to  be  of  service  on  the  farm 
he  did  not  go  to  school  at  all  except  in  the  winter  sea- 
son for  two  months,  and  then  only  till  he  was  sixteen 
years  of  age.  His  teachers  were  of  the  characteristic 
stern  type  of  the  time,  and  some  of  them  believed  in 
the  free  use  of  the  rod  as  an  effective  aid  in  promoting 
moral,  mental,  and  physical  discipline.  However,  there 
was  one  lad  who  never  received  his  instruction  in  that 
way.  One  of  his  most  capable  and  highly-esteemed 
teachers,  Thomas  W.  Robinson,  who  is  still  living, 
bears  this  enthusiastic  testimony  to  him : 

"He  never  came  to  class  without  well-studied  les- 
sons, reciting  in  no  perfunctory  manner,  but  with  en- 
thusiasm and  earnestness,  and  when  recess  came  he 
was  among  the  first  to  engage  in  playing  'corner  ball,' 
a  game  much  indulged  in  at  that  time  and  greatly  en- 
joyed by  him. 

"He  was  full  of  life,  vigorous,  hopeful,  energetic, 


36      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Ilott 

capable,  with  great  determination,  brooking  no  ordi- 
nary obstacles.  I  thought,  with  health  and  strength, 
there  was  a  future  for  him,  and  when  the  eminence 
was  attained  I  was  not  surprised.  He  possessed  that 
sometimes  rare  commodity  called  common  sense,  in  an 
eminent  degree,  with  much  sympathy  and  geniality, 
making  himself  greatly  loved  by  all  his  schoolmates. 

"Though  the  years  have  been  many  and  our  path- 
ways widely  separated,  there  are  no  brighter  spots  that 
come  up  with  such  distinctness,  with  such  rare  pleas- 
ure, with  such  a  halo  of  gladness  around  them,  as 
when  memory  travels  back  to  over  forty  years  ago  and 
calls  up  the  old  'Mountain'  schoolhouse  and  school,  and 
Jimmie  Hott,  as  we  called  him,  as  student,  as  friend, 
and  at  all  times  an  earnest,  conscientious  seeker  after 
truth  and  knowledge." 

Mr.  Robinson  also  says  that  this  student  of  his  was 
a  good  speller  and  debater,  and  that  he  rarely  missed  a 
meeting  of  the  debating  and  spelling  societies.  The 
debating  society  was  the  lyceum  of  the  time,  in  which 
all  sorts  of  knotty  questions  were  discussed.  In  these 
he  learned  to  utilize  his  knowledge  and  to  think  before 
an  audience.  One  familiar  with  those  days,  and  the 
actors  in  the  scenes  referred  to,  says :  "From  his  youth, 
Jimmie  was  a  master  in  this  field.  Not  that  he  could 
argue  a  question  so  well,  but  he  took  the  judges  and 
the  audience  by  storm,  swaying  them  by  sheer  force  of 
feeling,  and  leading  them  captive  at  his  will,  a  cer- 
tain indescribable  quality  of  tone  in  his  voice  contrib- 
uting in  no  small  degree  to  the  accomplishment  of  his 
end.  With  an  eloquent  appeal  to  the  feelings  of  the 
judges  he  would  smash  the  strongest  arguments  of  his 
opponents  and  leave  them  wondering  how  it  came 
about.  He  cared  little  for  the  argument,  but  much  for 
the  decision  of  the  judges.  And  this  he  seldom  failed 
to  get.  He  was  equally  skillful  in  the  use  of  the  comic 
and  pathetic,  gesture  and  tone,  tears  and  terror." 


Conversion  and  Call  to  the  Ministry  37 

It  was  in  these  schools  and  in  the  debating  societies 
that  good  beginnings  were  made  by  the  young  student 
and  debater,  in  acquiring  studious  habits  and  a  genu- 
ine love  for  learning.  Though  the  text-books  of  the 
time  were  not  ideal,  and  the  curriculum  of  studies  was 
limited,  the  schools  did  effective  work.  Then,  as  now, 
it  was  not  so  much  what  the  student  got  out  of  the 
books,  but  what  he  got  out  of  himself. 

Though  this  eager  learner  made  such  commendable 
progress  in  reading  and  public  speaking,  he  was  always 
a  poor  writer.  All  who  are  at  all  acquainted  with  his 
penmanship  know  that.  Whether  that  was  the  fault 
of  his  teachers  or  due  to  a  lack  of  painstaking,  we  are 
not  told,  but  this  we  know,  that  in  this  field  where  pro- 
ficiency is  so  desirable,  he  never  got  beyond  the  "pot 
hooks"  and  "hangers."  Once  after  he  became  bishop 
he  saw  an  editorial  in  the  Telescope  asking  corre- 
spondents to  be  more  careful  with  their  writing,  and, 
suspecting  it  might  have  reference  to  himself,  he  wrote: 
"Say,  can't  your  'boys'  make  out  my  fine  copy?  or  was 
that  editorial  meant  for  some  other  fellow?  Now, 
really,  I  never  have  any  trouble  reading  my  'copy.' 
You  used  to  be  proficient  and  sufficient.  Have  your 
guessing  powers  declined  with  the  wTeight  of  years?  I 
hope  not.  Eeally,  I  can't  take  that  editorial.  Oh,  Dr. 
Kephart  wrote  it !  Now  I  see !  Well,  well !  How 
about  his  'pot  hooks'  ?" 

Strictly  speaking,  the  education  of  this  youth,  which 
in  after  years  became  so  varied  and  extensive,  was  in 
the  university  of  life,  in  which  he  diligently  studied 
men  and  current  events  as  well  as  books,  till  in  the 
best  sense  he  became  a  widely-informed  and  thoroughly 
cultured  man.  He  is  a  notable  example  of  what  a 
young  man  can  make  out  of  himself,  where  favorable 
circumstances  and  a  college  training  are  wanting.  He 
well  deserves  the  distinction,  if  such  a  distinction  is 
ever  deserved,  of  being  self-made. 


38      -Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hotl 

In  his  education  we  are  reminded  of  the  purpose  of 
John  Eliot,  the  apostle  to  the  American  Indians,  who 
gives  an  indication  of  how  he  acquired  his  education  in 
the  following  closing  words  in  his  famous  Indian 
grammar:  "We  must  not  sit  still  and  look  for  mira- 
cles. Up  and  be  doing,  and  the  Lord  will  be  with  thee. 
Prayer  and  pains,  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  will 
do  anything."  Mr.  Hott,  through  the  greater  part  of 
half  a  century,  was  a  constant  illustration  of  the 
truth  of  these  emphatic  words. 

To  have  acquired  so  complete  an  education,  largely 
through  his  own  endeavors,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
exacting  demands  of  official  duties  in  many  relations, 
is  one  of  the  marvelous  feats  of  his  career.  In  it  is 
found  surpassing  encouragement  for  the  poor  boy,  who, 
with  honest  and  industrious  purpose,  desires  to  make 
the  most  possible  out  of  his  life. 

We  now  come  to  a  new  and  distinct  epoch  in  the  life 
of  James  W.  Hott.  It  is  marked  by  an  event  which 
was  no  insignificant  factor  in  his  preparation  for  his 
wide  usefulness.  This  event  was  his  conversion,  at  the 
age  of  thirteen,  in  the  old  Stone  Church  previously  re- 
ferred to.  The  immediate  agent  in  leading  him  pub- 
licly to  confess  Christ  as  his  Saviour  was  a  pious  Meth- 
odist class-leader  by  the  name  of  Andrew  Hyatt.  It 
was  during  a  time  of  deep  religious  awakening  in  the 
community.  Many  were  turning  to  the  Lord.  Even 
at  this  time  the  young  were  not  overlooked.  One  even- 
ing Mr.  Hyatt,  who  was  especially  active  in  the  good 
work  going  on,  went  to  Mrs.  Hott  and  anxiously  in- 
quired, "Where  is  Jimmie?"  "He  is  here,"  answered 
the  mother,  also  deeply  solicitous  for  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  her  son ;  whereupon  the  zealous  soul-winner 
sought  him  out  and  led  him  to  the  altar,  where  he  was 
happily  converted. 

In  after  years,  when  relating  his  Christian  expe- 
rience, Mr.  Hott  always  referred  with  affectionate  ten- 


Conversion  and  Call  to  the  Ministry         39 

derness  to  this  humble  man  as  being  the  human  in- 
strument in  his  salvation.  It  is  a  striking  instance  of 
the  power  and  far-reaching  influence  of  personal  ef- 
fort in  winning  souls. 

The  preachers  in  this  revival  meeting  were  Isaiah 
Baltzell  and  Samuel  B.  Evers.  Mr.  Baltzell,  then  a 
young  man  in  the  ministry,  afterwards  became  widely 
known  in  the  Church  as  a  writer  of  music.  His  songs 
as  well  as  his  preaching  have  had  a  rich  fruitage. 
Who  can  estimate  the  possibilities  of  a  single  soul 
thus  won  to  Christ  and  his  service  ? 

It  was  in  the  same  church  where  his  conversion  oc- 
curred that  this  young  disciple  also  attended  Sunday 
school.  One  of  his  early  teachers  relates  that,  at  an 
experience  meeting,  about  a  year  after  his  new  life  be- 
gan, he  deliberately  arose  and  walked  to  the  altar,  and, 
with  deep  emotion  he  pointed  to  the  place  of  his  sur- 
render to  Christ,  saying,  "Right  there  God  for  Christ's 
sake  spoke  peace  to  my  soul."  The  courage  and  clear- 
ness with  which  this  testimony  was  given  struck  a  re- 
sponsive chord,  and  there  was  a  spontaneous  "shout 
in  the  camp." 

In  that  very  suggestive  and  helpful  book,  "Sacred 
Hours  with  Young  Christians,"  written  in  the  years 
of  ripe  Christian  experience,  Mr.  Hott  says  that,  in 
the  supreme  moment  of  his  conversion,  he  was  so  lost 
in  a  sense  of  his  sinfulness,  and  so  drawn  out  in  love 
to  Christ,  whom  by  faith  he  saw  on  the  cross,  that  for 
some  time  he  was  utterly  unconscious  of  all  earthly 
things.  Then  overflowing  joy  filled  his  soul.  For 
hours  before,  deepest  darkness  had  enshrouded  his 
heart.  It  became  so  dense  that  all  earthly  objects  were 
lost  to  view.  The  last  things  remembered  before  the 
light  of  a  new  life  dawned  upon  him  were  the  prayers 
of  loved  ones  to  Jesus  to  take  into  his  forgiving  love  a 
struggling  soul.  Then  followed  a  season  alone  with 
Christ,  who  filled  the  soul  with  light  and  peace.    The 


40      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

next  consciousness  of  things  about  was  the  presence  of 
a  loved  mother  and  father  and  others  in  rejoicing, 
singing, 

"Happy  day,  when  Jesus  washed  my  sins  away." 

But  this  new  experience  meant  more  than  the  en- 
trance on  a  new  life.  Though  the  convert  was  so 
young,  he  saw  life  as  it  had  not  appeared  to  him  be- 
fore. With  this  changed  vision  came  a  new  and  definite 
aim — an  aim  that  gave  his  life  ever  after  notable  unity 
and  strength. 

What  was  that  aim?  It  was  to  live  like  his  new 
Master — to  live  a  life  of  ministry  to  needy  fellow- 
men.  There  could  be  no  higher  aim  than  that,  for 
service  is  the  highest  conception  and  privilege  of  the 
Christian  life.  In  accepting  Christ's  mastery  he 
gained  a  notable  self-mastery. 

This  new  vision  in  life  began  early  to  manifest 
itself  in  reading  and  study,  and  in  taking  up  active 
Christian  duties.  His  initiation  into  these  duties  was 
about  the  home  altar.  When  his  father  was  away 
preaching,  the  mother  conducted  the  family  worship. 
Here  the  lad  Jimmie  took  his  first  lessons  in  the  life 
of  godly  living,  often  leading  in  prayer  and  in  the 
reading  of  the  Scriptures.  Here,  too,  he  heard  his 
parents  pray  for  the  spread  of  Christ's  kingdom,  and 
that  the  Lord  would  "send  forth  laborers  into  his 
harvest." 

How  these  prayers  were  answered  may  easily  be  seen 
when  it  is  known  that  the  eight  children  growing  up 
in  that  home  (one  died  in  infancy)  early  became 
Christians,  and  five  of  the  six  sons  were  called  into 
the  gospel  ministry.  Eeferring  to  this  fact,  and  the 
influence  of  his  home,  Mr.  Hott  wrote  in  1884,  soon 
after  the  death  of  his  father:  "There  were  no  deflec- 
tions from  the  parental  example.  Each  in  turn,  eight 
in  all,  six  brothers  and  two  sisters,  gave  heart  and  life 


Conversion  and  Call  to  the  Ministry         41 

to  Christ,  and  walking  in  the  example  of  godly  parents, 
grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood.  The  father,  Jesse- 
like, stood  and  saw  his  children  pass  in  order,  and  be- 
hold God  chose  the  eldest  son,  then  the  second,  then 
the  third,  a  daughter,  placing  her  beside  a  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ,  then  the  fourth,  then  the  fifth,  counting 
them  worthy  to  be  put  into  the  Master's  path  of  toil 
for  souls.  The  father  stood  tearfully  by  as  the  Master 
allowed  only  two  to  remain  in  the  home,  and  marked 
the  eighth  and  last  for  his  crowning  jewel,  and  who 
also  turned  his  heart  and  head  to  the  great  mission  of 
saving  men.  This  last  son  only  passed  a  few  terms  at 
school  when  he  came  home  and  died.  Death  took  him 
to  show  what  he  could  do  in  a  happy  home." 

It  is  not  strange  that  these  noble  sons  should  be 
called  to  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry;  for  it  is 
in  the  order  of  God's  plan  that  his  ministers  should 
come  from  homes  whose  atmosphere  is  charged  with 
the  pure  ozone  of  an  earnest  spiritual  life.  It  is  amid 
such  holy  influences  that  the  deepest  and  most  abiding 
religious  impressions  are  made  and  the  most  loyal  and 
heroic  characters  are  formed  and  drilled  for  their  life 
work. 

In  October,  1895,  Bishop  Hott  wrote  for  the  Watch- 
word an  account  of  his  first  sermon,  some  extracts 
from  which  will  serve  to  throw  additional  light  on  his 
call  to  the  ministry.  He  says:  "As  I  now  recall  that 
first  effort  to  preach,  there  come  strange,  sweet,  sad 
memories  which  I  dare  not  report.  It  was  a  cold, 
stormy  night  in  the  late  winter  or  early  spring  of 
1861,  probably  in  March,  at  Mt.  Pleasant  Church,  Win- 
chester Circuit,  Virginia  Conference,  a  neat  frame 
church.  The  pastors  were  J.  D.  Freed  and  C.  T. 
Stearn,  who  were  present  to  begin  a  protracted  meet- 
ing. ...  I  was  only  a  boy,  three  or  four  months 
past  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  had  no  license  to  preach 
or  even  to  exhort,  though  I  had  undertaken  to  deliver 


42      Itife  and  Jareer  of  James  William  Hott 

an  exhortation  some  weeks  before  in  a  Methodist 
church   n  the  same  county,' 

He  had  felt  his.  call  ^o  preach  from  the  time  of  his 
-"•diversion  at  thirteen,  The  first  suggestion  that  he 
should  be  licensed  'lowever  came  from  the  presiding 
elder,  H„  Bo  Winton,  following  .  quarterly  conference 
in  the  home  church,  when  thL  official  said  to  the  father, 
pointing  to  his  son,  "We  ought  "oave  given  license 
to  this  boy  to-day,"  to  which  the  .ather  simply  replied, 
"Oh,  no,  not  yet  for  a  while. ' 

The  next  intimation  that  e  was  to  become  a 
preacher  was  when  asked  to  preach  his  first  sermon,  to 
which  reference  has  been  made.  Of  his  preparation 
for  his  work,  Mr.  Hott  says:  "The  preparation  for 
such  a  duty  was  peculiar  for  what  it  had,  and  also  for 
what  it  had  not  in  it.  I  had  been  accustomed  to  speak 
in  class-meetings  as  called  on  by  the  leader,  and  in  ex- 
perience meetings,  for  three  years.  My  father  was  a 
local  preacher,  and  for  his  day  had  an  excellent  li- 
brary. It  had,  as  I  remember,  Webster's  Unabridged 
Dictionary,  Clark's  Commentaries,  Dick's  Works,  and 
all  the  books  in  the  preachers'  course  of  study,  Watson's 
Bible  Dictionary,  a  number  of  the  standard  poets,  and 
numerous  devotional  books.  Of  course,  the  sermon  and 
sketch  books  were  there,  though  father  never  used  them 
in  the  preparation  of  sermons.  .  .  .  Such  books 
as  have  been  referred  to  I  had  read  almost  constantly 
at  odd  hours,  by  day  and  by  a  pine  light  at  night.  Our 
home  was  a  kind  of  Bible  school,  or  theological  semi- 
nary from  the  first,  in  which  both  father  and  mother 
were  daily  teachers.  There  was  no  formal  school  or 
lessons,  to  be  sure,  but  the  themes  and  doctrines  of  these 
books  were  discussed,  as  was  also  the  sermonic  state- 
ment of  truth." 

Of  the  manner  in  which  this  school  was  conducted 
a  brother  next  younger  than  James  says:  "Evenings 
at  home  must  be  counted   for  much.     Father   was   a 


Conversion  and  Call  to  the  Ministry         43 

studeni  of  close  and  constant  application.  The  lamp 
was  in  the  center  of  the  table,  and  the  children  gath- 
ered around  it  with  mother  near  by,  and,  notwithstand- 
ing her  sewing  or  knitting,  she  always  took  sufficient 
interest  in  what  was  passing  to  interpose  wise  counsel 
or  just  observation  upon  all  the  subjects  of  the  hour. 
The  subjects  considered  from  time  to  time  took  a  very 
wide  range — theological,  philosophical,  scientific,  liter- 
ary, historical,  social,  ethical,  practical,  in  short  every- 
thing that  seemed  important  for  children  to  know  in 
order  to  prepare  them  for  the  duties  and  responsibili- 
ties of  life.  But  the  best  and  most  important  of  all 
that  was  studied  there  was  Jesus  Christ  and  his  atone- 
ment. National  and  popular  evils  were  examined  from 
a  biblical  standpoint  till  their  true  character  and  in- 
fluence were  deeply  fixed  on  the  young  minds." 

It  was  in  this  home  school  that  the  call  repeatedly 
came  to  this  young  man,  now  sixteen,  to  be  a  preacher 
of  the  everlasting  gospel,  and  in  it  a  large  measure  of 
his  educational  preparation  was  received.  But  his 
teaching  was  not  alone  human. 

The  text  of  his  first  sermon  was  John  14 :  6,  "I  am 
the  way."  He  preached  without  notes,  but  not  with 
entire  satisfaction  to  himself.  One  who  heard  his  first 
effort  says  the  young  preacher  afterwards  told  him 
that  he  thought  of  a  good  deal  more  to  say  after  he  sat 
down  than  he  did  while  on  his  feet — an  experience  not 
uncommon  with  beginners  in  public  speaking. 

The  disappointment  over  this  maiden  effort  at 
preaching  was  not  without  its  compensating  benefits. 
In  the  weeks  that  followed,  he  preached  at  Smoketown 
and  Pleasant  Valley.  At  the  latter  place,  that  being 
his  home  church,  his  neighbors  and  kindred  came  to 
hear  him.  He  preached  from  John  3 :  16.  These  ef- 
forts not  only  served  to  give  added  emphasis  to  the  in- 
ward conviction  of  his  call  to  preach,  but  that  to  preach 
effectively  his  messages  must  be  born  from  above.   "A 


44      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

fourth  effort,"  he  says,  "brought  the  crisis  of  my  life. 
God  must  help  me  and  enable  me  to  preach  from  the 
heart,  or  the  thought  of  the  ministry  must  be  forever 
abandoned.  I  could  do  no  better  than  to  throw  myself 
into  such  an  issue.  The  conflict  was  overwhelming. 
Discouragements  were  crushing.  I  knew  not  what  to 
do  but  to  stake  all  on  the  issue.  I  was  all  alone.  I  had 
no  one  to  counsel.  Broken-hearted,  I  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Christ.  He  had  mercy  on  me  for  his  dear 
name's  sake." 

It  is  here,  at  this  early  period  in  his  life,  that  we 
learn  the  one  great  secret  of  his  singular  pulpit  power 
in  the  years  that  followed.  The  one  distinguishing 
quality  of  his  ministry  was  his  heart  power.  His 
preaching  was  nothing  but  "the  bursting  out  of  light 
which  was  first  burst  in  or  up  from  where  God  is,"  and 
out  of  conscious  fellowship  with  him  in  prayer. 


CHAPTER  HI. 
Early  Ministry,  Marriage,  and  Home. 

James  W.  Hott  was  given  his  first  formal  authority 
to  preach  the  gospel  April  8,  1861,  his  license  bearing 
the  signature  of  Jacob  Markwood,  presiding  elder. 
The  following  February,  at  Edenburg,  Shenandoah 
County,  Virginia,  he  was  received  into  Virginia  Con- 
ference, and  given  annual  conference  license,  signed 
by  Bishop  J.  J.  Glossbrenner.  Five  other  applicants 
to  preach  were  received  into  the  conference  at  the 
same  time.  These  were,  J.  K.  Nelson,  C.  T.  Stearn, 
A.  M.  Evers,  J.  M.  Canter,  and  H.  A.  Bovey.  This 
was  a  class  of  noble  young  men,  three  of  whom  are  yet 
living  and  engaged  in  the  active  ministry. 

These  new  recruits  in  the  ministerial  ranks  began 
their  life  work  at  a  very  trying  time  in  the  history  of 
the  Church  and  of  the  nation,  just  at  the  opening  of 
the  Civil  War. 

Beginning  with  1862,  Virginia  Conference  met  in 
two  sections  for  four  years,  the  northern  part  in  Mary- 
land, within  the  territory  occupied  by  the  Union  army, 
and  the  southern  portion  within  the  Confederate  lines. 
Bishop  Markwood  presided  over  the  northern  branch 
and  Bishop  Glossbrenner  over  the  southern. 

The  minutes  of  the  Edenburg  conference,  which  con- 
vened February  14,  1862,  as  the  secretary  says,  consti- 
tute the  "minutes  of  that  portion  of  Virginia  Confer- 
ence which  met  four  years  as  a  portion  only,  owing  to 
the  obstruction  formed  by  the  Civil  War."  At  this 
conference  Mr.  Hott  received  his  appointment  as  an 
itinerant  minister,  being  made  junior  preacher  with 

45 


46      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

J.  K.  Nelson,  on  Winchester  Circuit.  This  was  the 
charge  on  which  he  had  been  born  and  reared,  and  at 
this  time  it  embraced  three  counties  and  had  twenty 
preaching  places.  From  the  records  it  seems  that  his 
appointments  for  the  three  years  following  were  made 
by  the  northern  section  of  the  conference,  and  for 
two  years  more  Nelson  and  Hott  continued  as  the 
Winchester  preachers.  Their  labors  together  during 
these  three  years  were  very  arduous,  and  were  a  severe 
tax  on  both  spiritual  and  nervous  energy.  Their  duties 
called  them  within  the  lines  of  both  armies,  and  they 
carried  passes  from  each;  but  the  war  and  the  bitter 
feelings  it  occasioned  caused  many  hardships  and 
hindrances  which  were  not  only  perplexing,  but  in- 
volved great  hazard  of  life. 

Despite  the  obstacles  encountered,  however,  these 
were  years  of  great  religious  interest  among  the  peo- 
ple, and  it  was  the  joy  of  the  young  pastor  and  his  col- 
league to  see  numerous  revivals  in  which  some  six 
hundred  were  converted  and  added  to  the  Church. 

When  we  remember  that  this  junior  preacher  began 
his  ministry  when  only  a  little  past  sixteen  years  of 
age,  and  that  among  his  friends  and  kindred,  where 
usually  the  prophet  is  without  honor,  we  can  easily 
imagine  what  must  have  been  his  natural  gifts,  and 
the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held.  Then  when  we  think 
of  the  troublous  times  when  he  entered  this  work,  we 
can  likewise  easily  imagine  the  severe  tests  to  which 
he  must  have  been  frequently  put.  The  anxiety  felt 
for  him  while  on  his  long  preaching  tours  was  very 
great,  especially  by  his  devoted  mother,  through  all 
this  period  of  cruel  civil  strife.  Yet,  though  exposed 
to  very  great  dangers,  he  carried  a  revolver  only  during 
a  single  trip.  He  found  it  a  burden  and  a  source  of 
temptation  to  him,  so  he  discarded  its  use  entirely, 
preferring  to  entrust  himself  and  his  interests  to  the 
keeping  of  Him  whose  servant  he  was. 


James  W.  Hott  at  the  Age  <>f  Twenty. 


Early  Ministry,  Marriage,  and  Home        47 

He  was  the  boy  preacher  of  the  conference,  and  s|ill 
had  his  home  with  his  parents,  and  was  but  twenty- 
one  when  the  war  closed.  His  faithfulness  and  suc- 
cess during  these  four  years  which  tried  men's  souls 
won  for  hirn  not  only  unstinted  praise  from  his  friends, 
but  even  the  respect  and  admiration  of  his  enemies. 

It  was  at  a  meeting  of  the  northern  portion  of  the 
conference,  early  in  1864,  that  Mr.  Hott  received  or- 
dination at  the  hands  of  his  dear  friend,  Bishop  Gloss- 
brenner,  assisted  by  Bishop  Markwood.  The  way  the 
bishop  came  to  be  at  the  conference  is  thus  explained 
by  Dr.  A.  W.  Drury,  in  his  "Life  of  Glossbrenner" : 

"At  the  close  of  1863  Bishop  Glossbrenner  applied 
to  the  Confederate  authorities  for  a  pass  with  a  view 
to  attending  Pennsylvania  Conference,  and  also  the 
northern  half  of  Virginia  Conference.  The  pass  was 
obtained  from  President  Davis.  .  .  .  He  took  with 
him  his  youngest  daughter,  Josie,  then  eighteen  years 
of  age,  and  journeyed  northward.  .  .  .  The  first 
Union  picket  he  met  was  a  young  Mr.  Bonewell,  son  of 
the  Rev.  J.  W.  Bonewell,  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  This  young  man  recognized  him,  having 
seen  him  at  his  father's  home  in  Chambersburg,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  was  obliged  to  detain  him  until  he  ob- 
tained permission  to  admit  him.  .  .  .  The  regula- 
tions were  so  strict  with  reference  to  crossing  the 
Potomac  in  the  neighborhood  of  Martinsburg  that  the 
desired  permission  could  not  be  obtained. 

"Bishop  Glossbrenner  then  returned  to  near  Win- 
chester, to  the  home  of  the  Rev.  Jacob  P.  Hott.  At  this 
time,  his  son,  the  Bev.  J.  W.  Hott,  returned  from  his 
circuit.  Bishop  Glossbrenner  had  not  seen  him  for  a 
considerable  time,  as  after  he  had  joined  the  confer- 
ence in  1862,  his  field  had  been,  for  the  most  part,  north 
of  the  Confederate  lines.  When  the  Bishop  mot  him 
he  kissed  him.  The  Rev.  -T.  W.  Hott  told  him  that  he 
was  satisfied  he  could  pass  through  Morgan  County 


48      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

and  cross  the  Potomac  at  another  point,  where  the  au- 
thorities were  not  so  strict.  He  loaned  him  some  money 
and  accompanied  him.  The  bishop  preached  several 
times  on  week-nights  on  the  way." 

Permission  to  pass  was  secured,  and,  crossing  the 
river,  the  bishop  went  to  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  where 
he  tarried  a  short  time  and  then  went  on  to  Chambers- 
burg.  Returning,  he  stopped  at  Boonsboro,  Maryland, 
where  the  northern  part  of  Virginia  Conference  was 
held.  The  meeting  of  the  bishop  and  the  young 
preacher  at  this  conference  was  an  ever  memorable 
event  in  both  their  lives,  and  it  served  to  cement  more 
closely  the  bonds  of  their  friendship,  which  were  never 
broken  in  later  years. 

At  one  of  the  conferences  Mr.  Hott  attended  in 
Maryland  during  the  war,  he  wore  a  suit  of  gray 
clothes,  made  by  his  mother  from  goods  which  she  had 
woven.  The  brethren  there  not  being  pleased  to  see 
one  of  their  number  in  "rebel"  attire,  raised  money  and 
purchased  a  becoming  black  suit,  which  they  presented 
to  him. 

He  came  near  losing  a  good  suit  of  clothes  once;  it 
may  have  been  this  very  one.  He  was  returning  from 
one  of  his  preaching  tours,  and  when  within  a  mile  of 
home  he  discovered  a  neighbor's  house  on  fire.  He 
joined  in  the  effort  to  quench  the  flames,  and  in  so  do- 
ing, his  clothes,  to  say  the  least,  were  greatly  damaged. 
It  was  so  in  many  things,  that  in  his  thoughtfulness 
and  zeal  for  the  welfare  of  others  he  seemed  to  be 
wholly  unmindful  of  his  own  interests. 

May  31,  1864,  when  not  yet  twenty  years  of  age,  Mr. 
Hott  was  married  to  Martha  A.  Ramey,  two  years  his 
senior,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Presley  and  Elizabeth 
Hammack  Ramey,  born  and  reared  near  the  historic 
town  of  Winchester.  She  belonged  to  one  of  the  best 
known  families  in  the  valley  of  Virginia,  their  names 
being  synonyms  for  nobleness  of  character,  piety,  and 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  TIott  soon  after  Tiiktr  Marriagk. 


Early  Ministry,  Marriage,  and  Home         49 

integrity.  She  was  converted  in  her  girlhood,  and 
joined  the  United  Brethren  Church,  in  whose  fellow- 
ship she  continued  to  live  all  her  life.  She  was  unsel- 
fishly devoted  to  her  husband  and  to  the  Church,  and 
cheerfully  gave  herself  to  the  toils  and  sacrifices  of  an 
itinerant  minister's  wife. 

After  spending  another  year  on  his  home  charge 
after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hott  was  assigned  to  a  new- 
field,  Martinsburg,  where  he  remained  but  one  year. 
Here  his  labors  were  prospered  and  extensive  revivals 
resulted. 

It  was  during  his  last  year  at  Winchester  that  A.  M. 
Evers,  who  was  the  pastor  at  Crosskeys,  Eockingham 
County,  had  his  noble  riding-horse  stolen.  The  horse 
was  taken  to  Martinsburg  and  sold.  However,  later 
the  animal  was  recovered,  as  Mr.  Evers  says,  "largely 
through  the  kindness  and  untiring  efforts  of  Brother 
Hott."  This  was  another  characteristic  piece  of  prac- 
tical friendliness  to  a  brother  in  need,  and  what  did  a 
United  Brethren  preacher  need  in  those  days  more 
than  a  good  horse? 

The  year  at  Martinsburg  brought  the  boy  preacher 
to  the  1866  session  of  Virginia  Conference,  the  first 
after  the  war.  This  was  indeed  a  memorable  meeting. 
Brethren  in  the  ministry  separated  for  years  met  again 
and  rejoiced  in  tearful  gratitude  in  the  good  provi- 
dence that  had  been  over  them  in  the  years  of  their 
enforced  separation. 

In  1884,  after  a  visit  to  Virginia,  when  these  memo- 
ries were  revived,  Mr.  Hott,  in  writing  for  the  Re- 
ligious Telescope,  says:  "The  first  full  conference  of 
ministers  ever  witnessed  by  the  writer  made  an  im- 
pression on  his  heart  never  to  be  effaced.  It  was  the 
meeting  of  the  Virginia  Conference  at  Rohrersvillo, 
Washington  County,  Maryland,  February  8,  1866.  In 
1862  six  persons  became  members  of  that  conference, 
joining  the  band   of   brethren   laboring  south   of  the 

4 


50      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

military  lines,  meeting  at  Edenburg,  Shenandoah 
County,  Virginia.  All  these  are  living  and  continue 
in  the  ministry,  though  only  three  remain  members  of 
the  old  conference.  The  writer  is  among  the  last 
named.  Subsequently  I  met  with  the  brethren  who  la- 
bored north  of  the  war  lines,  in  three  sessions. 

"When  we  met  at  Rohrersville  the  cloud  of  war  had 
passed.  The  sound  of  arms  and  the  roar  of  the  cannon 
and  the  tramp  of  the  war  horse  in  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land were  all  silent.  Fathers  and  brothers,  husbands 
and  sons,  had  come  home  from  the  army  to  rest  on  the 
bosom  and  arms  of  loved  ones.  But  alas !  not  all !  not 
all!" 

The  unusual  character  of  this  conference  is  indi- 
cated by  a  few  lines  in  the  secretary's  record:  "The 
morning  experience  meeting  was  most  refreshing,  and 
one  long  to  be  remembered.  The  sermon  by  Bishop 
Glossbrenner  was,  as  usual  with  our  beloved  bishop,  in- 
structive, and  tending  to  encourage  believers  to  sweetly 
anticipate  the  home  on  high  by  the  earnest  within  the 
heart." 

The  Lord's  Supper  was  observed  after  this  sermon. 
Of  this  Mr.  Hott  further  says:  "I  can  see  Bishop 
Glossbrenner  yet  as  he  stood  leaning  on  the  pulpit, 
while  great  tears  ran  thick  and  fast  down  his  cheeks 
as  he  saw  the  brethren  of  his  own  afflicted  conference 
once  again  gathered  in  love  about  the  communion 
board.  No  one  who  was  present  will  ever  forget  the 
grace  and  love  and  salvation  which  flowed." 

This  was  not  only  a  memorable  meeting,  but  it  has 
special  historical  significance.  Brethren  had  not  only 
been  separated  through  four  testing  years,  but  the 
times  had  been  restless  and  exciting.  The  preachers 
in  Virginia  had  remained  at  their  places  from  several 
considerations.  They  loved  the  people,  and  believed 
they  should  not  forsake  them  in  their  struggles  and 
affliction,  and  so  they  continued  faithfully  to  bear  to 


Marly  Ministry,  Marriage,  and  Home         51 

them  the  consolations  of  the  gospel.  They  believed 
the  war  would  soon  close,  and  that  they  owed  it  to  God, 
and  their  people,  and  to  their  native  State,  to  toil  in 
clouds  and  sorrow  till  the  storms  were  over.  This  they 
did,  remaining  true  to  the  Union  cause. 

Writing  further  of  the  bitter  experiences  of  these 
perilous  times,  Mr.  Hott  gives  this  important  testi- 
mony: "These  four  years  were  long,  dark,  and  painful 
years.  All  our  ministers  had  gone,  day  and  night,  at 
the  peril  of  their  lives.  No  men  ever  risked  so  much 
for  the  privilege  of  preaching  the  gospel  of  Christ  and 
being  United  Brethren  preachers.  One  was  shot  at 
while  riding  inoffensively  on  the  highway.  ...  A 
number  of  others  had  been  arrested  and  carried  before 
the  authorities  for  trial.  Three,  at  least,  had  been 
shamefully  kept  in  prison  for  weeks  because  they 
would  not  and  did  not  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  Confederacy.  .  .  .  The  writer  had  the  honor 
of  being  three  times  arrested,  though  each  time  he  was 
soon  released. 

"In  the  Maryland  portion  of  the  conference  the  state 
of  things  had  been  different.  A  few  times  when  in- 
vasions by  the  southern  army  had  been  made,  a  season 
of  fright  and  alarm  and  loss  had  been  experienced. 
The  battles  of  Antietam  and  South  Mountain  had 
bathed  the  territory  in  blood.  But  these  seasons  were 
few  in  number.  Some  of  the  brethren  in  the  confer- 
ence had  allowed  their  sympathies,  in  a  measure,  to  be 
withdrawn  from  the  Virginia  brethren.  They  could 
not  understand  why  the  preachers  remained  in  Vir- 
ginia if  they  were  not  rebels.  (Ministers  of  the  gospel 
in  the  Southern  Confederacy  were  exempt  from  mili- 
tary service,  a  fact  which  showed  the  high  religious 
sentiment  and  character  of  the  Southern  people.)" 

This  conference  rejoiced  not  only  over  the  Union 
saved,  but  brethren  united  in  the  tenderest  bonds  of 
brotherly  love  and  fellowship. 


52      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

Mr.  Hott's  next  pastorate  was  at  Edenburg,  or  as 
he  calls  it  in  the  record  he  has  left  of  his  work,  Wood- 
stock Circuit.  To  this  he  was  appointed  at  the  Rohrers- 
ville  conference.    Here  he  remained  two  years. 

In  1868  he  was  assigned  to  Churchville,  Augusta 
County,  Virginia,  the  home  of  Bishop  Glossbrenner 
and  other  old  and  influential  United  Brethren  families. 
Here  he  worked  three  years,  his  labors  being  highly 
successful  and  his  relations  most  congenial.  It  was 
during  the  second  year  of  his  ministry  at  Churchville 
that  an  extensive  revival  occurred,  and  among  the  con- 
verts was  C.  H.  Crowell,  who  has  been  for  many  years 
a  leading  member  of  Virginia  Conference. 

It  was  while  serving  this  charge  that  Mr.  Hott  was 
elected  a  delegate  to  the  General  Conference  which 
convened  in  Lebanon,  Pennsylvania,  in  May,  1869.  He 
was  then  but  twenty-four  and  a  half  years  old,  and 
bore  the  distinction  of  being  the  youngest  member  of 
that  body.  His  colleagues  were  J.  W.  Howe  and  G.  W. 
Statton.  He  was  an  exceedingly  modest  member,  speak- 
ing but  few  times  during  the  session. 

This  Conference,  composed  of  representative  men 
from  the  entire  Church,  made  a  profound  impression 
on  this  junior  member.  It  was  a  revelation  to  him. 
In  it  he  saw  and  heard  and  admired  many  of  the 
strong  men  of  the  denomination.  He  listened  with 
intense  interest  to  the  two  and  a  half  days'  discussion 
of  the  secret-society  question,  then  a  mooted  question, 
by  the  ablest  debaters  on  the  floor.  He  cast  his  vote 
for  the  rigid  law  against  secret  societies,  with  which, 
in  harmony  with  his  life-long  training,  he  was  then  in 
hearty  sympathy.  In  later  years  he  greatly  modified 
his  views  in  regard  to  these  organizations,  especially 
as  to  the  methods  of  dealing  with  those  connected  with 
them. 

At  this  Conference  he  earnestly  supported  the  meas- 
ure adopted  looking  to  the  founding  of  a  theological 


Early  Ministry,  Marriage,  and  Home         53 

seminary  for  the  Church.  He  returned  to  his  home 
and  work  with  a  better  conception  of  the  Church's  mis- 
sion, and  with  an  enlarged  appreciation  of  its  power 
and  possibilities  as  an  agency  for  the  world's  evangeli- 
zation. Henceforth  he  was  destined  to  live  in  a  larger 
world,  with  broader  sympathies,  and  with  a  more  in- 
telligent understanding  of  the  varied  activities  and 
needs  of  the  denomination  to  whose  interests  he  was 
so  warmly  devoted. 

After  his  three  years  of  fruitful  ministry  at  Church- 
ville,  Mr.  Hott  was  next  stationed  at  Boonsboro,  Mary- 
land. This  was  in  1871.  The  circuit  embraced  sev- 
eral churches,  strong  in  numbers  and  wealth,  and  was 
a  better  charge  than  he  had  previously  served.  This 
was  a  well-deserved  testimony  to  his  growing  power 
and  popularity  as  a  preacher  and  pastor. 

In  the  autumn  of  his  second  year  at  this  place,  he 
was  again  chosen  to  represent  his  conference  in  the 
General  Conference,  which  was  to  meet  in  Dayton, 
Ohio,  the  headquarters  of  United  Brethren  Church  in- 
terests, in  May,  1873.  At  the  session  of  his  conference, 
held  early  in  that  year,  he  was  transferred  to  Hagers- 
town,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  important  churches 
in  the  conference.  This  appointment,  too,  was  clearly 
in  the  line  of  promotion.  But  his  pastorate  here  was 
short,  for  at  the  General  Conference  he  was  called  into 
the  general  work  of  the  Church.  With  this  Confer- 
ence the  period  of  his  early  ministry  closes.  He  had 
been  a  pastor  for  eleven  years  and  a  few  months.  These 
had  been  years  of  earnest,  and  much  of  the  time  heroic 
toil  in  the  Master's  service.  They  had  been  years  of 
growing  power  and  usefulness.  The  boy  preacher  had 
been  a  diligent  student,  continuously  adding  to  his 
mental  furnishing  through  the  passing  years. 

Though  beginning  to  preach  when  so  young,  and 
without  special  school  preparation,  he  made  such  faith- 
ful and  wise  use  of  his  opportunities  for  improvement 


54      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

that  he  early  came  to  be  an  able  and  popular  preacher 
and  an  excellent  expositor  of  the  Word  of  God.  His 
preaching  was  always  a  delight  to  himself,  because  it 
was  a  service  of  the  heart.  From  the  first,  he  preached 
the  great  essential  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  those 
who  knew  him  best  in  the  years  he  was  a  circuit-rider, 
with  large  and  difficult  parishes,  in  times  of  war  and 
through  the  trying  period  of  reaction  following,  bear 
uniform  testimony  to  his  strenuous  life,  to  his  faith- 
fulness and  self-sacrifice,  to  his  tact  and  helpfulness 
as  a  pastor,  and  to  his  success  as  a  soul-winner.  But 
as  his  distinctive  qualities  as  a  preacher  will  have 
special  consideration  in  later  chapters,  further  refer- 
ence to  them,  for  the  present,  will  be  deferred. 

It  will  be  of  interest,  however,  before  passing  from 
this  period  to  notice  a  few  things  which  properly  fall 
within  it.  We  have  now  followed  the  boy  preacher 
from  place  to  place,  we  have  seen  his  development  in 
manly  character  and  influence,  and  the  gradually  in- 
creasing recognition  accorded  his  worth  throughout 
this  probationary  period  of  his  ministry.  A  very  sim- 
ple and  suggestive  illustration  of  his  progress  as  a 
preacher  and  church  leader  is  found  in  the  compensa- 
tion he  received  for  his  services.  While  it  does  not 
wholly  indicate  the  growing  acceptability  of  his  minis- 
try, yet  in  the  main  it  does.  The  following  table  is 
from  a  book  containing  an  extensive  record  of  his  work 
from  the  time  he  began  preaching: 

SALARIES. 

1862,  Winchester  Circuit $107  25 

1863,  Winchester  Circuit 130  00 

1864,  Winchester  Circuit 140  00 

1865,  Martinsburg  Circuit 350  00 

1866,  Woodstock  Circuit 190  00 

1867,  Woodstock  Circuit 300  00 

1868,  Churchville  Circuit 320  00 


Early  Ministry,  31arriage,  and  Home        55 

1869,  Churchville  Circuit 330  58 

1870,  Churchville  Circuit 350  00 

1871,  Boonsboro  Circuit 500  00 

1872,  Boonsboro  Circuit 600  00 

During  these  years  the  record  also  shows  that  the 
pastor  on  these  several  charges  was  the  recipient  of 
generous  tokens  of  esteem  and  good-will  in  special 
gifts,  sometimes  aggregating  handsome  sums.  These 
were  indicative  that  as  pastor  he  enjoyed  the  confi- 
dence and  affection  and  cordial  support  of  his  people. 

The  statistical  records  of  the  conference,  while  not 
complete  for  all  these  years,  are  sufficiently  full  to 
show  that  Mr.  Hott's  ministry  was  abundantly  fruit- 
ful in  the  results  of  evangelistic  labor,  in  numerous 
conversions  and  accessions  to  the  Church. 

Then  these  years  of  laborious  toil  and  fruit-bearing 
were  years  of  joyous  and  beautiful  home  life.  Hus- 
band and  wife  were  ardently  devoted  to  each  other, 
and  each  lived  to  perfect  the  happiness  of  the  other. 
That  unselfish  love  dominated  them  which  makes  mar- 
riage and  home  and  children  a  peculiar  blessing. 
Wherever  they  lived,  and  however  humble  their  cottage, 
their  home  was  a  haven  of  sweet  rest,  for  love  and  con- 
tentment were  resident  with  them.  Into  this  home 
there  came  during  these  happy  years  of  itinerant  life, 
four  beautiful  children.  The  divine  promise  to  those 
who  fear  the  Lord  was  signally  verified,  "Thy  children 
shall  be  like  olive  plants  round  thy  table." 

While  residing  at  Edenburc,  their  first  child.  Etta, 
was  born,  now  Mrs.  D.  E.  Lorenz,  residing  in  "New 
York  City.  Churchville  was  the  birthplace  of  their 
second  daughter,  Louella,  now  Mrs.  J.  H.  Francis,  of 
Los  Angeles,  California.  During  their  residence  at 
Boonsboro  a  third  little  girl  came  to  adorn  their  home, 
Jennie,  who  two  years  later  died  in  Davton,  Ohio, 
bringing  to  them  their  first  creat  family  sorrow.    Mat- 


56      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

tie,  the  youngest,  the  wile  of  the  Kev.  J.  G.  Huber,  of 
Dayton,  Ohio,  was  born  at  Hagerstown  during  the 
brief  pastorate  of  her  father  in  that  city. 

Never  were  parents  and  children  happier  in  their 
relations  than  were  these.  Mutual  love,  which  is  the 
only  bond  of  true  domestic  happiness,  was  the  crown- 
ing and  controlling  virtue  there.  Such  a  home  is  not 
only  earth's  chief  school  of  virtue,  but  it  is  a  fitting 
type  of  heaven.  What  a  benediction  and  model  it  is  in 
any  community !  Happy  is  the  church  whose  pastor 
has  such  a  home !  What  a  beautiful  crowning  a  home 
like  this  is  to  these  years  spent  in  the  blessed  ministry 
of  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  Christ ! 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

Called  to  a  New  Work. 

As  has  been  previously  stated,  Mr.  Hott  was  elected 
a  second  time  to  a  seat  in  the  General  Conference  of 
his  denomination,  in  the  fall  of  1872.  At  this  time  he 
was  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  and  had  been  nearly 
eleven  years  in  the  ministry.  His  colleagues  were  the 
same  as  the  four  years  before — J.  W.  Howe  and  G.  W. 
Statton,  already  veteran  preachers  in  Virginia  Con- 
ference. His  election  at  the  head  of  his  delegation 
was  not  only  a  compliment  to  himself,  but  it  was  a 
clear  proof  that  he  represented  a  constituency  that 
knew  how  to  appreciate  the  grit,  grace,  and  ability  that 
go  into  making  a  successful  pastor  and  wise  church- 
man in  difficult  fields.  That  he  possessed  these  quali- 
ties in  ample  measure  was  clearly  proved  in  his  work 
as  pastor  and  evangelist  on  five  different  charges.  Tt 
is,  however,  his  retirement  from  this  special  work  that 
furnishes  the  occasion  for  a  resume  of  the  results  of 
his  labors  to  this  time,  which  brings  into  sharper  re- 
lief the  multitude  of  good  achievements  which  he  has 
crowded  into  the  years  of  his  ministry. 

His  record  in  preaching  and  as  a  soul-winner,  often 
under  very  trying  conditions,  and  in  laying  permanent- 
foundations  for  the  Church  where  he  labored,  is  one 
which  does  credit  and  honor  to  himself  and  to  the 
cause  of  Christ.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  refer  to  a  record 
such  as  this,  which  would  serve  as  an  example  and  in- 
spiration to  every  young  minister  who  has  yet  to  shape 
his  character  and  career  in  the  highest  of  all  earthly 
callings. 

57 


58      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

The  General  Conference  met  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  May 
15,  1873.  Mr.  Hott  was  there  at  almost  the  precise 
period  of  middle  life.  He  was  but  twenty-eight  and  a 
half  years  of  age,  yet  a  young  man.  His  experience  in 
the  Conference  of  four  years  before  enabled  him  to 
come  to  this  session  with  the  ready  capacity  for  intelli- 
gent participation  in  the  proceedings,  which  only  fa- 
miliarity with  the  work  to  be  done  can  give.  He 
possessed  a  maturity  and  power  rarely  found  in  one  of 
his  years.  His  hair  and  beard  were  jet  black,  giving 
him  an  appearance  remarkable  in  contrast  with  the 
last  years  of  his  life.  His  eye  was  clear  and  keen,  and 
the  freshness  of  youth  was  yet  in  his  face.  His  step 
was  quick  and  elastic,  and  his  spirit  had  the  buoyancy 
of  the  morning.  His  whole  being  was  literally  sur- 
charged with  that  nervous  energy  that  is  so  characteris- 
tic of  the  world's  greatest  leaders.  He  was  faultlessly 
attired  in  a  suit  of  conventional  black,  of  strictly 
clerical  pattern.  In  dress,  manners,  and  speech  he 
was  a  typical  Virginian  of  that  day.  His  bearing  was 
manly,  courteous,  and  dignified,  and  there  was  a  free- 
dom and  tact  about  his  participation  in  the  Conference 
business  which  not  only  attracted  attention,  but  which 
commanded  the  admiration  and  respect  of  his  fellow- 
delegates.  He  was  a  ready,  though  not  a  frequent 
speaker  on  questions  before  the  Conference.  Some  of 
his  speeches  were  notably  bright  and  eloquent,  and  won 
for  him  a  recognition  and  a  prominence  which  come 
in  deliberative  assemblies  only  to  men  of  good  sense 
and  practical  ideas.  He  gave  his  earnest  support  to 
the  proposition  favoring  lay-delegation  in  the  councils 
of  the  Church,  and  other  measures  of  a  progressive 
character. 

At  this  time  the  lines  were  sharply  drawn  on  the 
secret-society  question.  The  two  parties  were  known 
as  the  "radicals"  and  the  "liberals."  On  any  matter 
having   any   relation  to  this   vexatious   question  Mr. 


Mr.  Hott  when  Missionary  Treasurer. 


Called  to  a  New  Work  59 

Hott  always  voted  with  the  radicals,  in  strict  accord 
with  his  own  convictions  and  the  traditions  of  the 
Church.  However,  in  his  spirit  and  in  his  relations 
with  men,  his  position  would  have  been  that  of  a  mod- 
erate conservative  rather  than  a  partisan  radical.  It  is 
well  to  note  this  fact  at  this  time,  as  it  will  have  an 
important  bearing  upon  his  future  official  relations 
and  influence. 

It  was  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  Conference,  after  the 
principal  business  was  finished,  that  the  election  of  the 
general  Church  officers — bishops,  editors,  secretaries, 
etc. — took  place.  The  choice  for  treasurer  of  the  Home, 
Frontier,  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  fell  upon 
J.  W.  Hott,  a  result  wholly  unexpected  to  himself  and 
friends,  and  yet  easily  accounted  for  in  his  character 
and  varied  abilities.  From  what  had  been  seen  of  him 
in  the  Conference  and  what  was  known  of  his  careful 
business  habits,  it  was  believed  he  would  be  a  safe  man 
with  whom  to  entrust  the  financial  management  of  the 
Church's  missionary  society.  It  might  have  seemed  to 
some  too  great  an  honor  and  responsibility  conferred 
on  one  so  young,  but  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events 
it  is  clear  that  no  mistake  was  made  in  his  selection. 

At  the  close  of  the  General  Conference  Mr.  Hott  re- 
turned to  his  home  and  arranged  to  move  his  family  to 
Dayton,  and  for  his  early  entrance  upon  the  new  work 
to  which  he  had  been  called.  On  the  2d  day  of  July, 
1873,  obedient  to  the  voice  of  the  Church,  and  following 
what  seemed  to  him  the  indication  of  Providence,  he 
parted  with  his  highly-esteemed  congregation  at  Hagers- 
town.  Writing  soon  after  of  the  sundering  of  the  happy 
relations  there,  he  says:  "The  force  of  this  separation 
was  keenly  realized.  To  be  withdrawn  from  a  congre- 
gation for  whose  spiritual  good  one  has  toiled,  and  to 
be  renloved  from  those  who  have  need  to  be  early  led  to 
Jesus,  presses  a  minister's  heart  with  pain.  This  sepa- 
ration was  the  more  undesirable  because  it  severed  me 


60      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

for  four  years  from  the  connection  I  had  held  with 
the  hard-working  ministers  of  Virginia  Conference  for 
nearly  twelve  years,  some  of  them  years  of  battle  and 
of  blood." 

After  a  few  days,  Mr.  Hott  and  family  arrived  in 
Dayton  where  they  were  to  make  their  future  home, 
not  only  for  four  years,  but  for  more  than  five  times 
that  number.  They  were  given  a  cordial  reception,  but 
ere  they  had  had  time  to  become  settled  in  their  own 
home  they  were  stricken  with  a  sudden  and  unex- 
pected sorrow  in  the  death  of  Jennie  May,  the  next  to 
the  youngest  member  of  the  household,  then  just  two 
years  old.  This  affliction  was  especially  severe  because 
the  bereaved  family  was  in  a  strange  city,  far  removed 
from  the  kindred  and  friends  of  other  years.  But  the 
kindness  and  sympathy  of  new  friends  brought  com- 
fort and  support,  and  the  aching  head  and  heart  found 
repose  in  the  love  and  grace  of  the  divine  Comforter. 
Afterwards,  writing  of  the  lesson  of  this  sorrowful  visi- 
tation, Mr.  Hott  said:  "Altogether,  we  have  a  better 
view  of  human  sympathy,  a  clearer  comprehension  of 
the  influence  and  power  of  brotherly-kindness,  and,  I 
trust,  a  stronger  confidence  in  the  religion  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  The  tasks  of  life  are  heavy,  but  the  heart  leans 
with  faith  on  God,  and  the  hands  must  toil  on,  while 
we  look  for  the  bright  morning  to  come  with  its  day 
of  endless  glory." 

During  the  quadrennium  following  his  entrance 
into  the  general  services  of  the  Church,  Mr.  Hott  was 
not  only  the  treasurer  of  the  Missionary  Society,  but 
he  was  also  the  treasurer  and  soliciting  agent  of  the 
Church-Erection  Society,  then  in  its  infancy.  Though 
the  first  steps  toward  the  organization  of  this  society 
were  taken  at  the  General  Conference  in  1869,  little  was 
done  to  promote  it  till  1872,  when  the  first  work  of  so- 
liciting funds  for  it  was  begun.  This  society,  so 
closely  related  in  its  purposes  and  interests  to  the  Mis- 


Called  to  a  New  Work  61 

sionary  Society,  was  entirely  under  the  control  of  that 
society  till  1889,  and  was  managed  by  its  officers. 

Thus  the  causes  of  missions  and  church  extension 
became  the  all-controlling  objects  of  the  endeavors  of 
their  new  representative  for  the  next  four  years.  To 
their  promotion  he  brought  the  energy  and  enthusiasm 
and  consecration  of  his  body,  mind,  and  heart.  These 
were  years  of  extensive  travel,  visiting  conferences  and 
holding  special  meetings  in  the  interest  of  these  enter- 
prises, now  rapidly  growing  in  public  favor.  In  this 
way  he  became  widely  acquainted  with  the  Church,  its 
ministers  and  people,  its  needs  and  possibilities,  and 
with  marvelous  zeal  and  adaptation  he  devoted  himself 
to  the  duties  of  his  office.  The  energy  and  tact,  and 
faith  and  success,  which  characterized  his  work  in  this 
new  field,  in  private  solicitation,  and  in  the  convincing 
appeals  at  conferences  and  elsewhere,  and  through  the 
Church  press,  won  for  him  the  sympathy  and  commen- 
dation of  the  Church. 

The  year  1874  was  observed  throughout  the  United 
Brethren  Church  as  the  centenary  of  its  founding. 
This  was  made  the  occasion  of  special  efforts  to  raise 
centennial  funds  for  missions,  church  erection,  and 
Union  Biblical  Seminary,  the  latter  being  the  new 
theological  school  of  the  Church.  While  Mr.  Hott  was 
not  connected  with  this  institution,  he  was  among  its 
warmest  supporters,  and  devoted  himself  with  great 
earnestness  to  the  holding  of  centenary  meetings  where 
its  interests  were  presented,  and  in  collecting  funds 
for  the  causes  directly  committed  to  him.  In  tins 
work  he  met  with  gratifying  success,  his  efforts  being 
signally  blessed  in  the  promotion  of  the  forward  move- 
ments of  the  denomination  during  that  year.  While 
the  centenary  purpose  was  conducive  to  the  strength- 
ening and  enlargement  of  the  general  enterprises  and 
institutions  of  the  Church,  it  also  turned  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  local  interests,  in  church-building,  etc.,  in 


62      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

a  large  degree.  Mr.  Hott's  reports,  in  the  Religious 
Telescope,  of  centenary  meetings  held  in  the  confer- 
ences and  on  other  occasions,  had  not  a  little  to  do  in 
stimulating  the  aims  and  successes  of  the  year's  dis- 
tinctive undertakings. 

These  years  of  Church-wide  endeavors,  and  the 
friendly  relations  they  brought,  made  this  working 
church  officer  not  only  a  prominent  figure  in  the  con- 
nectional  activities  of  the  denomination,  but  a  man 
ardently  loved  for  his  spirit  and  work's  sake.  His 
ability  as  a  preacher  and  writer  became  well  known 
during  this  period.  His  broad  sympathies  with  men 
and  worthy  causes  had  had  a  practical  exemplification. 
His  zeal,  intelligence,  and  capacity  for  safe  leadership 
had  been  abundantly  demonstrated.  His  piety  and 
charity  were  unquestioned.  While  a  man  of  strong 
and  positive  convictions  relating  to  essential  moral 
principles,  as  well  as  of  church  polity,  he  was  neverthe- 
less so  respectful  of  the  opinions  and  rights  of  others, 
and  so  conciliatory  in  his  spirit  toward  those  differing 
with  him  in  matters  of  principle  or  expediency,  he  had 
grown  to  have  a  mighty  hold  on  the  confidence  and 
heart  of  the  Church.  In  these  qualities  will  be  found 
the  chief  reasons  for  his  growing  popularity  and  wide 
influence  as  a  man  and  as  a  leader  in  aggressive  Chris- 
tian work. 

Mr.  Hott's  happy  relations  with  other  general  offi- 
cers of  the  Church  during  this  quadrennium  deserve 
special  mention.  He  had  the  confidence  and  cordial 
support  of  the  bishops  at  the  conferences  and  else- 
where. His  office  brought  him  into  close  associations 
with  the  Missionary  Secretary,  the  Rev.  D.  K.  Flick- 
inger,  so  long  the  indefatigable  worker  in  that  field. 
He  came,  likewise,  into  intimate  touch  with  Dr.  W.  J. 
Shuey,  the  Agent  of  the  United  Brethren  Publishing 
House,  which  resulted  in  a  friendship  between  them 
like  that  of  Jonathan  and  David.     His  frequent  con- 


Called  to  a  New  Work  63 

tributions  to  the  Religious  Telescope  relating  to  his 
work  and  on  general  subjects,  brought  him  into  dose 
contact  with  the  editor  of  that  paper,  the  Kev.  Milton 
Wright,  with  whom  he  maintained  most  agreeable  re- 
lations. The  same  is  true  of  the  mutual  cordiality 
which  existed  between  himself  and  Dr.  D.  Berger,  edi- 
tor of  the  Sunday-school  literature,  and  the  Eev.  Wil- 
liam Mittendorf,  the  German  editor,  and  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  several  Church  boards. 

That  his  rare  ability  to  work  harmoniously  with 
others,  and  whose  duties  caused  the  frequent  crossing 
of  paths,  and  his  uniform  brotherly  spirit  and  bear- 
ing, had  much  to  do  with  the  forming  and  perpetuat- 
ing of  these  delightful  friendships  and  fellowships, 
there  is  no  question.  In  these  dominating  qualities  are 
to  be  found  the  mainspring  to  his  manly  strength  and 
to  his  commanding  leadership  and  power  in  very  wide 
relations  with  fellow-men. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Editorial  Career. 

The  seventeenth  General  Conference  met  at  West- 
field,  Illinois,  May  10,  1877.  The  preceding  four  years 
had  witnessed  marked  advances  in  the  Church.  The 
membership  was  now  144,881,  a  gain  of  more  than  nine- 
teen thousand  in  four  years.  In  the  same  period  there 
was  an  increase  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-two  houses 
of  worship,  with  corresponding  growth  in  all  the  con- 
nectional  interests.  One  hundred  and  twenty  dele- 
gates, besides  the  four  bishops,  were  entitled  to  seats 
in  the  Conference.  The  secret-society  question  re- 
ceived the  attention  of  the  Conference,  the  rule  of  the 
Church  being  changed  somewhat,  but  not  essentially 
modified  in  its  prohibitory  features.  Lay  delegation 
in  the  annual  conferences  was  authorized,  and  pro 
rata  representation  and  other  progressive  measures  re- 
ceived substantial  encouragement.  An  educational  ad- 
dress was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  E.  S.  Chapman,  and 
Bishop  J.  J.  Glossbrenner  preached  an  appropriate  ser- 
mon on  the  character  and  work  of  Bishop  David  Ed- 
wards, who  had  died  June  6,  1876.  The  Conference 
was  in  session  twelve  days,  and  the  business  was  partic- 
ipated in  with  the  earnestness  of  men  loyal  to  Christ 
and  the  Church. 

J.  W.  Hott  had  been  elected  for  the  third  time  to 
represent  his  conference  in  this  quadrennial  assembly. 
His  colleagues  were  the  same  as  in  the  two  previous 
conferences.  Though  he  had  not  been  working  within 
the  conference  for  four  years,  his  reelection  at  the  head 

64 


Editorial  Career  65 

of  his  delegation  was  a  worthy  tribute  to  the  high  es- 
teem in  which  he  was  held  throughout  the  Church  in 
Virginia. 

At  this  General  Conference  the  secret-society  ques- 
tion was  made  an  issue  in  the  election  of  some  of  the 
general  officers  of  the  Church,  as  had  previously  been 
the  case.  For  eight  years  the  columns  of  the  Religious 
Telescope  were  under  the  most  vigilant  radical  super- 
vision. Speaking  of  this  fact,  Dr.  Berger,  in  his  his- 
tory of  the  Church,  says:  "The  very  intensity  of  its 
radicalism  began  in  time  to  react  upon  itself,  and  many 
earnest  supporters  of  the  Church  law  on  secrecy  desired 
a  change  in  the  control  of  the  paper,  and  a  new  editor, 
of  more  moderate  views,  was  chosen,  to  give  a  truer 
expression  of  the  sentiment  of  the  Church."  This  man 
was  James  W.  Hott.  His  election  was  not  only  a  recog- 
nition of  his  strong  intellectual  manhood  and  his  var- 
ied experience  in  pastoral  and  general  church  work,  but 
rather  of  that  higher  wisdom  which  he  was  believed 
to  possess,  the  capacity  for  calm  and  judicious  leader- 
ship in  directing  the  thought  and  work  of  the  denomi- 
nation. 

Though  the  choice  fell  upon  one  who  was  by  educa- 
tion and  loyalty  to  the  traditions  of  the  Church  a  radi- 
cal, and  though  he  had  stood  with  the  radical  party 
on  the  one  exciting  question  in  the  two  previous  Gen- 
eral Conferences,  he  was  not  by  nature  or  principle  an 
extreme  radical.  This  had  been  clearly  demonstrated 
in  his  record  as  a  preacher  in  the  Civil  War.  No  mat- 
ter what  he  was  in  his  sentiments  by  inheritance,  or 
what  he  may  have  thought  himself  to  be  in  his  earlier 
years,  in  mature  life,  and  with  the  wider  experience  and 
observation  afforded  by  four  years  of  mingling  with 
representative  people,  ministers  and  laymen,  widely 
through  the  Church  in  the  discharge  of  official  duties, 
he  came  to  see  the  wisdom  of  moderate  views  on  the 
vexing  question  at  issue.    He  could  not  be  an  extrem- 

5 


66      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

ist,  either  radical  or  liberal.  And  yet  his  loyalty  to  the 
Church  was  always  above  successful  challenge.  So 
when  a  new  editor  was  to  be  chosen  for  the  chief  organ 
of  the  denomination,  it  was  natural  that  a  man  with 
a  true  heart  and  a  conciliatory  spirit  should  be  se- 
lected. This  meant  that  even  many  who  were  classed 
as  radicals  were  weary  of  the  extreme  radicalism  of 
the  paper.  That  is  the  primary  reason  the  editorial 
control  of  the  Religious  Telescope  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Hott  in  1877.  And  his  able  management 
of  the  paper  in  the  twelve  years  that  followed  proved 
the  wisdom  of  the  choice. 

The  General  Conference,  however,  that  put  this  new 
occupant  in  the  editorial  chair,  elected  the  Rev.  W.  O. 
Tobey,  a  pronounced  radical,  to  be  assistant  editor. 
Mr.  Tobey  had  been  the  associate  editor  the  four  years 
before  under  the  rigid  radical  regimen.  He  was  a  ready 
and  scholarly  writer,  faithful,  painstaking,  and 
churchly,  but  it  was  not  felt  that  the  destinies  of  the 
paper,  in  such  a  stormy  period,  could  be  safely  en- 
trusted to  him.  While  Mr.  Hott  possessed  the  quali- 
ties of  wise  conservatism  and  conciliation,  Mr.  Tobey 
was  extreme  and  unyielding.  Both  were  alike  honest 
in  their  convictions,  but  they  were  utterly  unlike  in 
partisan  temper  and  attitude  toward  those  differing 
with  them  on  questions  in  dispute  in  the  Church. 
Their  dispositions  were  naturally  and  sharply  antago- 
nistic. This  antagonism,  however,  it  should  be  said, 
was  never  bitter  nor  unbrotherly.  It  was  rather  of  un- 
like natures  which  could  never  be  wholly  congenial. 

During  the  entire  time  of  Mr.  Tobey's  connection 
with  the  paper  he  wrote  over  a  signature.  This  was 
the  policy  of  the  times,  not  that  an  associate  editorship 
was  an  impossibility,  but  that  the  editors  should  each 
be  held  responsible  for  his  own  utterances.  Mr.  Hott 
preferred  the  continuance  of  this  order,  and  it  was  evi- 
dently to  his  advantage  that  it  should  not  be  changed 


Editorial  Career  67 

at  the  time  he  entered  on  his  editorial  duties;  for,  the 
Church  eared  not  so  much  for  the  expressions  of  the 
paper  as  such,  as  it  did  for  those  of  the  men  in  charge 
of  the  paper,  as  judged  by  their  personal  writings.  Mr. 
Hott  did  not  hesitate  to  face  the  issues  which  this  per- 
sonal responsibility  involved.  In  harmony  with  his 
own  convictions,  he  adopted  a  policy  which  was  steadily 
maintained  through  the  years.  The  attitude  of  the 
paper,  at  first,  was  not  so  much  changed  as  was  its  tone. 
If  he  did  not  change  its  head,  he  did  change  its  heart. 
In  this  way  he  came  to  be  loved  and  trusted,  and,  to 
the  great  body  of  the  Church,  conducted  the  paper  with 
marked  acceptability. 

He  was  a  well-known  writer  in  the  Church  long  be- 
fore he  became  an  editor.  From  the  time  of  his  early 
ministry  he  had  been  a  frequent  contributor  to  the 
Church  press  and  other  periodicals.  Out  of  a  deep 
personal  experience  as  a  Christian  he  was  always  able 
to  strike  a  responsive  chord  in  the  lives  of  those  whom 
he  touched  through  his  pen,  as  he  had  done  by  his 
preaching.  Indeed,  his  tact  and  readiness  in  writing 
had  always  shown  his  unusual  aptitude  in  the  field  of 
church  journalism,  and  that  he  possessed  the  real  in- 
stinct of  the  religious  editor.  This  mysterious  and 
indefinable  gift  was  manifest  not  only  in  the  character 
and  variety  of  his  writings,  but  in  the  wakeful  enter- 
prise, vigor,  and  sprightliness  which  ever  characterized 
the  management  of  his  paper. 

In  his  editorial  greeting,  published  June  13,  1877, 
Mr.  Hott's  type  of  mind  and  spirit  are  clearly  seen. 
He  says:  "The  editorial  control  of  the  Religious  Tele- 
scope is  a  duty  which  comes  to  my  hand  unanticipated, 
and  it  is  not  without  many  fears  that  I  have  accepted 
a  responsibility  so  great.  Accustomed,  till  recently,  to 
work  in  the  pulpit  and  pastoral  relation,  from  early 
life,  it  has  cost  a  severe  struggle  to  undertake  a  work 
of  so  great  interest,  knowing  that  former  study  and 
habits  have  not  been  such  as  to  prepare  me  for  it. 


68      -Life  and  Career  of  James   William  Mott 

"I  cannot  be  wholly  ignorant  of  the  vast  interests  of 
the  Church  and  the  souls  of  the  people  of  our  com- 
munion, depending  in  a  large  measure  upon  the  spirit 
and  tone  of  our  Church  periodical.  At  least  enough 
is  known  to  suggest  the  sacredness  of  the  trust  com- 
mitted to  my  care.  The  wants  of  the  people  are  not 
only  such  as  require  variety  of  talents  and  gifts,  but, 
being  spiritual  and  eternal,  they  demand  the  purest 
purpose  of  the  heart. 

"The  bonds  which  unite  us  in  this  great  Church  fel- 
lowship are  of  the  noblest  kind  known  on  earth,  and 
as  such  can  only  be  strengthened  by  helps  which  sup- 
ply the  growth  of  our  better  nature  and  lead  us  to  a 
more  complete  communion  with  God.  When  William 
Otterbein  saw  Martin  Boehm  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
Christ  he  embraced  him,  and  exclaimed,  'We  are 
brethren.' " 

Other  pertinent  references  to  our  Church  history  fol- 
low. The  editor  then  emphasizes  the  duty  of  the 
Church  to  make  the  preaching  of  Christ  its  supreme 
business,  and  then  adds :  "This  fact  shows  us  clearly 
that  if  we  as  a  Church  are  to  grow  and  prosper,  we 
must  be  essentially  and  intensely  aggressive.  If  our 
churches  are  to  grow  up  pure  and  strong  and  so  be  pre- 
served for  the  generations  to  come,  there  must  be  felt 
in  every  channel  the  thought  of  an  earnest  life,"  etc. 

To  these  ends,  and  to  the  promotion  of  all  the  de- 
partments of  the  Church,  Mr.  Hott  pledged  unstinted 
devotion,  hoping  "to  be  honest,  impartial,  and  kind 
in  associations  with  the  brethren,  and  I  trust  most  of 
all  to  please  God." 

There  is  pervading  the  entire  greeting  the  earnest 
desire  to  serve  the  highest  interests  of  the  Church,  to 
increase  the  influence  of  the  Church  organ,  and  also 
the  feeling  that  success  must  depend  largely  on  the  co- 
operation of  other?. 

While  Mr.  Hott  worked  with  remarkable  ease,  he 


Jhklitorial  Career  69 

nevertheless  found  his  editorial  duties  too  laborious 
for  his  physical  strength.  For  several  weeks  at  one 
time  he  suffered  from  a  severe  attack  of  nervous  pros- 
tration. Though  he  recovered  slowly  from  this  break- 
down, he  at  length  regained  his  strength  and  came  to 
the  end  of  the  quadrennium  in  his  usual  vigor  and 
health. 

The  General  Conference  of  1881  met  in  Lisbon, 
Iowa.  It  was  the  largest  Conference  in  the  history  of 
the  Church,  up  to  that  time.  With  the  strong  pro- 
gressive spirit  manifest,  there  was  a  decided  weaken- 
ing on  the  traditional  principles,  so  called,  of  the 
Church,  as  compared  with  the  four  years  previous,  a 
test  vote  standing  sixty-eight  radical  to  fifty-seven  lib- 
eral. But  there  was  less  disposition  on  the  liberal  side 
to  discuoS  the  mooted  question  than  there  had  been  for 
many  years,  one  of  the  leading  liberals  declaring  that, 
personally,  he  had  no  more  battles  to  fight,  adding,  "I 
believe  our  people  will  settle  this  question  whether  we 
are  willing  to  do  it  or  not."  The  new  accessions  to 
the  Church  and  to  the  ministry,  and  a  broader  spirit  of 
church  life  were  plainly  doing  what  could  not  be  done 
by  law  and  argument. 

J.  W.  Hott  was  reelected  editor  of  the  Religious 
Telescope  by  a  very  flattering  vote.  This  was  a  splen- 
did testimonial  of  approval  of  his  last  four  years'  work. 
He  was  again  a  member  of  the  Conference  from  Vir- 
ginia, his  associate  delegates  being  J.  W.  Howe  and 
A.  M.  Evers.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  more  active  and 
influential  member  occupied  a  seat  in  the  body. 

Through  his  influence  the  Conference  decided  to  have 
but  one  editor  of  the  Religious  Telescope,  and  that  he 
should  be  given  the  authority  to  choose  his  own  as- 
sistant, subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  Publishing  House.  In  harmony  with  this 
action,  the  present  writer  was  chosen  assistant  editor, 
serving  eight  years  in  that  relation.     My  close  asso- 


70      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

ciation  with  Mi*.  Hott  during  those  years  of  editorial 
eolabor  was  unmarred  with  a  single  collision,  and  left 
not  behind  the  memory  of  a  single  unpleasant  incident. 
The  intimacy  of  these  years  only  served  to  increase  my 
esteem  and  to  deepen  my  affection  for  an  intimate  daily 
fellow-worker.  The  more  I  knew  of  him  in  the  varied 
relations  in  which  I  was  privileged  to  meet  him,  the 
more  I  saw  in  him  to  respect,  to  admire,  and  to  honor. 

The  editor's  policy  as  he  entered  on  his  second  term's 
work  was  well  indicated  in  the  following  words  from 
his  new  greeting,  June  15,  1881 :  "While  the  Telescope 
shall  be  kept  in  the  front  ranks  of  reform,  while  it 
shall  be  conservative  and  unflinching  in  its  main- 
tenance of  the  principles,  usages,  and  institutions  of 
the  Church,  it  shall  aim  to  be  broad,  catholic,  and 
Christian  in  every  case."  The  spirit  and  purpose  of 
this  declaration  were  too  plain  to  be  misunderstood. 

There  were  three  things  during  this  quadrennial 
term  which  made  this  period  especially  notable  to  Edi- 
tor Hott.  The  first  was  his  being  sent  as  a  delegate  to 
the  Ecumenical  Conference,  held  in  London  in  Sep- 
tember, 1881,  and  his  subsequent  travels  in  Europe, 
Palestine,  and  Egypt,  which  will  be  spoken  of  particu- 
larly elsewhere.  The  second  was  the  death  of  his  hon- 
ored father,  in  1884,  previously  mentioned;  and  third, 
the  celebration  of  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  found- 
ing of  the  Religious  Telescope,  December  31,  1884. 
This  latter  event  marked  an  important  era  in  the  jour- 
nalism of  the  Church,  and  was  auspiciously  observed 
by  issuing  a  special  historical  number  of  the  paper, 
with  cover  and  illustrations.  Nothing  so  elaborate  had 
ever  been  undertaken  before  in  the  Church.  It  was  a 
notable  achievement,  admirably  conceived  and  exe- 
cuted, and  betokening  praiseworthy  skill  and  enter- 
prise on  the  part  of  the  editor  and  publisher. 

In  June,  1882,  Mr.  Hott  received  the  honorary  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  both  Western  and  Avalon 


Editorial  Career  71 

colleges,  a  tribute  to  his  character  and  eminent  serv- 
ices in  the  Church  worthily  bestowed. 

The  General  Conference  of  1885  met  May  14,  in  Fos- 
toria,  Ohio.  The  quadrennium  had  been  a  period  of 
general  prosperity  and  growth,  the  membership  of  the 
Church  having  increased  nearly  11,000.  In  the  ad- 
dress of  the  Board  of  Bishops,  the  Conference  was  ad- 
vised to  give  special  attention  to  the  Constitution  of 
the  Church,  that  a  question  that  had  caused  long  and 
animated  discussion  might  be  settled.  Early  in  the 
session  a  committee  was  appointed  to  consider  this  mat- 
ter. The  committee  recommended  the  appointment  of 
a  "Church  Commission"  of  twenty-seven  members,  "to 
consider  our  present  Confession  of  Faith  and  Consti- 
tution, and  prepare  such  a  form  of  belief,  and  such 
amended  fundamental  rules  for  the  government  of  the 
Church  in  the  future  as  will,  in  their  judgment,  be  best 
adapted  to  secure  its  growth  and  efficiency  in  the  work 
of  evangelizing  the  world." 

This  opened  the  way  for  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
debates  ever  known  in  the  councils  of  the  Church,  at 
the  close  of  which  the  plan  for  the  revising  of  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith  and  amending  the  Constitution  was 
approved  by  the  decisive  vote  of  78  to  42.  This  was  a 
notable  triumph  for  the  growing  liberal  sentiment  in 
the  Church,  and  it  marks  the  beginning  of  a  broader 
and  freer  church  life.  At  this  Conference  a  modified 
rule  on  secret  societies,  proposed  by  the  same  commit- 
tee submitting  the  previous  proposition,  was  adopted 
by  a  vote  of  76  to  38. 

Dr.  Hott  was  a  member  of  this  celebrated  "Commit- 
tee No.  6,"  and  was  an  influential  champion  of  its 
recommendations.  That  the  Telescope,  under  his  di- 
rection, had  contributed  largely  to  these  results  is  be- 
yond dispute.  That  he  should  have  been  reelected  to 
its  editorial  control  after  these  enactments  so  vitally 
to  effect  the  future  life  and  polity  of  the  Church,  and 


72      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

by  a  larger  vote  than  he  had  ever  received,  was  an  en- 
dorsement well  merited. 

On  the  twelfth  day  of  the  General  Conference  the 
members  of  the  Church  Commission  were  elected ;  five 
from  each  of  the  episcopal  districts  except  the  Pacific 
Coast  District,  which  was  to  have  but  two — twenty- 
seven  in  all.  J.  W.  Hott  was  one  of  those  chosen  to 
represent  the  East  District.  When  the  Commission 
met  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  November,  1885,  he  served 
on  the  Committee  on  Confession  of  Faith,  being  one 
of  its  most  wakeful  members.  His  associates  on  this 
committee  were :  Bishops  J.  J.  Glossbrenner,  N.  Cas- 
tle, and  M.  Wright,  Drs.  H.  Garst,  G.  A.  Funkhouser, 
and  W.  M.  Beardshear,  and  Bevs.  J.  B.  Evans  and  P. 
C.  Hetzler.  After  being  in  session  six  days,  the  Com- 
mission agreed  upon  a  revised  Confession  of  Faith  and 
an  amended  Constitution  for  the  Church.  This  work 
was  then  submitted  to  the  whole  Church  for  approval  or 
rejection  at  the  general  election  of  delegates  to  the 
General  Conference  in  November,  1888,  after  three 
years'  consideration  and  discussion,  and  was  almost 
unanimously  approved. 

In  his  salutation  on  beginning  his  third  term  in  the 
editorial  work,  June  10,  1885,  Dr.  Hott  pledged  his 
most  earnest  effort  "to  adapt  the  paper  more  than  ever 
to  the  wants  of  the  entire  Church."  In  the  same  con- 
nection he  also  says:  "It  is  impossible  for  the  editor 
not  to  have  his  own  personal  opinions  upon  the  vari- 
ous subjects  that  are  agitated  among  us.  But  should 
it  appear  that  he  has  too  much  selfishness  and  too  little 
charity  and  grace  to  accord  to  others  their  personal 
rights  and  opinions  without  constant  antagonism  and 
criticism  or  slight,  he  will  justly  be  regarded  as  un- 
fitted and  unworthy  to  edit  a  paper  for  the  sons  of  Ot- 
terbein  and  Boehm,  who  gave  origin  to  our  Church 
name  in  the  words,  'We  are  brethren.' " 

In  the  same  paper  in  which  these  utterances  are 


Editorial  Career  73 

found  is  an  editorial  entitled,  "What  to  Do  Now,"  in 
which  counsel  is  given  to  "mutual  toleration  of  differ- 
ences of  sentiments  as  to  the  non-substantials  of  re- 
ligion, and  consecration  to  the  great  mission  of  saving 
men  from  formality  and  sin  and  worldly  conformity,  by 
the  power  of  Christ  and  his  gospel."  These  are  urged 
as  essential  conditions  to  peace  and  prosperity. 

Another  introductory  editorial  was  on  "The  Com- 
mission and  Constitution."  In  this  the  editor  states 
plainly  what  the  policy  of  the  Telescope,  would  be  in 
regard  to  the  actions  of  the  General  Conference.  He 
then  adds:  "The  Commission  for  the  revision  of  the 
Constitution  and  Confession  of  Faith  of  the  Church 
is  now  a  fact  in  our  Church,  and  it  is  to  be  so  regarded 
by  all." 

The  four  years  that  followed  were  years  of  extended 
and  animated  discussion  in  the  Church  organ.  The 
"Commission  Act"  and  what  it  contemplated  furnished 
a  great  variety  of  themes  for  both  liberal  and  radical 
writers.  The  editor,  however,  kept  a  strong  hand  on 
the  helm.  He  wisely  maintained  that  the  things  set- 
tled by  the  General  Conference  should  be  regarded  as 
settled,  and  that  discussion  should  be  confined  to  future 
and  pertinent  questions. 

This  policy  was  scrupulously  followed  throughout  the 
quadrennium.  During  this  transition  era  the  editor 
maintained  a  serene  and  lovable  spirit.  He  met.  with 
great  opposition,  bitter  things  being  said  about  him, 
but  he  never  turned  aside  from  what  he  felt  to  be  tbe 
path  of  duty.  He  never  became  vindictive  or  partisan, 
even  in  the  treatment  of  those  who  were  the  most 
stoutly  opposed  to  his  editorial  policy. 

I  was  with  him  during  much  of  this  memorable 
struggle.  His  opponents  were  uniformly  treated  with 
Christian  courtesy  and  fairness.  It  was  this  policy, 
steadfastly  adhered  to,  that  strengthened  his  course 
and  that  weakened  the  opposition.    The  very  spirit  of 


74      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

his  critics  helped  him,  and  this  on  the  principle  that 
nothing  builds  up  a  cause  like  persecution. 

For  those  that  were  conscientious  and  consistent  in 
their  opposition  to  his  editorial  policy  he  entertained 
the  most  profound  respect  and  esteem.  While  differ- 
ing with  them,  he  never  became  embittered  against 
them.  In  this  he  demonstrated  the  strength  of  his  own 
character  and  the  value  of  his  service  to  the  Church, 
as  in  nothing  else.  With  him  the  cause  was  more  than 
personal  pique  or  pride,  and  he  was  satisfied  to  see  it 
triumph. 

The  twelve  years  of  Dr.  Hott's  editorial  career  em- 
brace a  period  of  peculiar  unrest  and  testing  in  the 
Church.  That  he  made  no  mistakes  would  not  be 
claimed  by  his  most  ardent  friends,  but  it  is  easily 
within  the  truth  to  say,  that  to  his  judicious  and  kindly 
leadership,  as  much  as  to  any  other  human  agency,  was 
due  the  successful  passing  of  the  Church  from  narrow 
and  restrained  conditions  to  a  life  and  power  fraught 
with  larger  possibilities. 

To  what  was  his  large  success  in  the  field  of  religious 
journalism  due?  Not  alone  to  his  natural  gifts  or  to 
his  acquired  abilities,  though  he  was  well  endowed  in 
both  of  these  respects.  Nor  is  it  to  be  accounted  for  on 
the  ground  of  mere  intellectual  sagacity,  magnetic  en- 
thusiasm, or  to  his  rare  facility  in  adapting  himself 
to  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  though  these  were  among 
his  largely  developed  traits.  Rather,  he  was  a  man  of 
unusual  heart  power,  and  this  dominated  his  editorial 
life  and  thought  as  it  did  his  pulpit  efforts.  His  writ- 
ings, while  evincing  a  wide  and  firm  grasp  of  truth, 
expressed  with  logical  clearness  and  force,  were  pre- 
eminently of  a  devotional  or  spiritual  type.  .  They  pos- 
sessed that  vital  quality,  real,  though  unseen,  tbat  im- 
presses and  wins  men,  and  which  is  not  easily  defined. 
He  had  a  passion  for  souls,  and  with  it  the  genius  for 
winning  them,  both  by  tongue  and  pen. 


Editorial  Career  75 

He  was  a  strong  and  versatile  writer.  He  was  espe- 
cially happy  in  choosing  titles  for  his  editorials.  He 
had  no  hobbies.  He  did  not  follow  the  beaten  paths. 
His  knowledge,  sympathies,  and  endeavors  were  world- 
wide in  their  reach. 

In  his  editorial  work  on  the  Telescope,  Dr.  Hott 
found  a  broad  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  fruitful  gifts. 
His  work  was  uniformly  performed  with  enthusiasm, 
as  if  he  enjoyed  it,  as  he  surely  did. 

He  had  exalted  ideals  of  the  province  and  power  of 
the  religious  press  as  an  agency  for  good  in  the  world. 
His  skill  in  the  management  of  the  paper  was  not  less 
marked  than  were  his  ability  and  wisdom  as  a  writer. 
He  was  broad-minded  in  his  recognition  and  treat- 
ment of  men  throughout  the  Church,  though  occa- 
sionally he  was  accused  of  being  narrow  and  sectional 
in  his  feelings.  Brethren  in  the  East  sometimes 
thought  him  partial  to  the  West,  and  brethren  in  the 
West  at  times  complained  of  his  favoritism  for  the 
East.  These  very  criticisms  were  unmistakable  evi- 
dences of  his  independence  and  impartiality.  He  oc- 
cupied an  eminence  which  enabled  him  to  survey  the 
whole  Church  with  its  diversified  conditions  and  needs, 
while  his  critics  occupied  lower  planes  and  were  often 
influenced  by  local  and  personal  considerations. 

His  kindliness  of  spirit  toward  those  who  differed 
with  him  on  church  questions,  and  his  generous  treat- 
ment of  them,  was  noticeable  in  the  courtesies  shown 
them,  and  in  the  cordial  recognition  given  them  in  fre- 
quent editorial  expressions. 

In  speaking  of  courtesy  and  the  spirit  of  concilia- 
tion for  which  Dr.  Hott  was  noted,  not  only  as  an  edi- 
tor, but  as  a  man,  for  he  was  ever  a  dignified  Christian 
gentleman,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  the  entire  period 
of  his  twelve  years'  editorial  life  was  largely  given  to 
earnest  discussion  of  matters  of  church  polity  and 
kindred  questions.     He  came  to  this  throne  of  power 


76      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

just  as  the  transition  from  a  lower  to  a  higher  plane 
of  church  life  and  activity  was  beginning,  and  from 
a  sphere  narrow  and  circumscribed  by  restrictive  legis- 
lation and  impractical  traditions  to  an  open  and  broad 
field  for  untrammeled  service  in  the  world's  evangeliza- 
tion. During  these  years  the  Telescope  rendered  zeal- 
ous and  heroic  service  on  behalf  of  the  Church  and  its 
forward  movements. 

While  discharging  his  duties  with  becoming  modesty, 
Dr.  Hott  did  not  lack  the  courage  to  follow  his  convic- 
tions of  right.  His  editorials  will  bear  careful  study. 
They  show  a  man  doing  his  own  thinking,  not  only  on 
church  questions,  but  on  world-wide  conditions  and 
movements.  They  rarely  contain  lengthy  quotations 
from  contemporary  editors  or  from  other  writings.  He 
preferred  mentally  to  digest  what  he  read,  and  then  to 
give  the  results  of  his  own  independent  thinking.  He 
gathered  precious  ores  from  the  mines  of  the  whole 
world,  from  which  he  extracted  the  rich  coin  of  current 
and  vital  thought  which  he  sent  out  bright  from  the 
mint  of  his  own  brain. 

His  writings  do  not  consist  of  vapid  moralizings  on 
the  good  and  wise  sayings  of  other  people.  Neither  do 
they  bear  the  air  of  patronizing  lectures,  or  "I  told  you 
so"  admonitions. 

The  products  of  his  pen  have  a  freshness,  variety, 
humanness,  and  religious  quality  that  made  him  the 
popular  editor  he  was.  He  was  not  an  advice-giver, 
but  a  leader  in  religious  thought  and  activity.  He 
wore  no  clouded  spectacles,  he  had  no  pet  theories,  re- 
ligious or  otherwise,  to  which  he  was  wedded,  he  was 
not  a  reformer  on  paper,  he  was  not  a  time-server,  but 
an  open,  frank,  thoughtful,  sympathetic,  helpful  writer 
for  young  and  old,  for  the  strong  and  prosperous,  and 
for  the  weak,  tempted,  and  discouraged.  He  was  a 
magnetic  editor  as  he  was  a  magnetic  preacher. 

It  has  been  said  by  a  writer  of  large  experience,  him- 


Editorial  Career  77 

self  an  editor,  that  "the  ideal  editor  fulfills  a  threefold 
function — he  is  creator,  administrator,  and  writer.  He 
forms  his  own  conception  of  what  the  journal  is  to  be, 
what  place  it  is  to  fill,  what  work  it  is  to  do,  what  cir- 
cle of  readers  it  is  to  address;  he  organizes  it  to  do  that 
work,  secures  the  writers,  examines  their  contributions, 
measures  them  by  their  relation  to  his  conception  and 
their  adaptation  to  its  execution;  and  he  molds  all 
writers  by  his  own  strong,  clear,  vigorous  writing; 
leads  by  his  pen,  and  others  follow.  Now  it  is  very 
rare  that  any  editor  fulfills  all  three  functions."  And 
yet  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that  Dr.  Hott  possessed 
this  rare  ability  in  a  very  essential  sense,  winning  for 
himself  recognition  as  a  very  prince  of  religious  jour- 
nalists. He  usually  secured  his  best  contributions  by 
special  solicitation  from  men  of  well-known  ability  as 
writers.  This  was  before  the  days  of  publishing  "syn- 
dicate" articles,  a  custom  now  much  in  vogue,  which 
tends  greatly  to  cheapen  a  paper  in  the  estimation  of 
thoughtful  readers,  no  matter  how  meritorious  the  arti- 
cles thus  secured  in  themselves  may  be.  No  journal, 
religious  or  secular,  has  ever  gained  commanding  in- 
fluence through  communications  of  that  sort.  So  as 
editor  of  the  Religious  Telescope  Dr.  Hott  gave  his 
paper  an  individuality  and  a  power  by  his  ability  to 
fulfill  the  functions  of  creator,  administrator,  and 
writer,  which  justly  entitle  him  to  the  rank  of  an  ideal 
editor.  His  editorial  work  has  ceased,  but  his  editorial 
influence  will  abide  as  a  rich  heritage  to  the  Church 
and  the  world. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Editorial  Table  Talk. 

In  this  chapter  it  is  proposed  to  give  some  extracts 
from  Dr.  Hott's  varied  editorial  writings  which  will 
serve  to  indicate  the  general  character,  style,  and  spirit 
of  his  thought,  as  well  as  to  show  the  principles  and 
motives  which  were  supreme  in  his  life.  An  entire 
volume  could  easily  be  made  up  of  choice  utterances, 
wise,  pungent,  and  gracious,  from  this  source.  Such 
a  collection  of  extracts  would  not  only  prove  instruc- 
tive and  inspiring  to  the  general  reader,  but  as  an  index 
to  the  life  of  the  man  it  would  have  surpassing  value. 
But  the  present  purpose  is  not  to  attempt  a  work  so 
extended  or  exhaustive,  but  rather  to  bring  together  a 
few  paragraphs  from  his  editorials  which  deserve  to  be 
printed  and  preserved  in  connection  with  the  story  of 
his  life. 

Writing  of  his  mother,  in  1884,  soon  after  the  death 
of  his  father,  Dr.  Hott  said :  "Through  all  these  years 
of  toil  and  trial  and  care  and  sickness  and  love  she 
has  been  the  guardian  angel  of  light  in  our  joyou« 
home.  Her  heart  was  the  treasury  where  we  left  our 
childish  cares  and  sorrows." 

Speaking  of  his  father  in  the  same  connection,  he 
paid  to  him  this  beautiful  tribute:  "He  is  with  the 
angels  now,  and  will  hardly  care  for  the  poor  tribute  of 
love  wounded  hearts  can  pay.  His  honesty  would  stop 
the  pen  which  would  dare  to  record  a  flattering  word ; 
and  yet,  the  reader  will  allow  that  we  put  one  tribute 
on  the  tomb  of  one  who  subscribed  for  and  read  the 

78 


Editorial  Table  Talk  79 

Telescope  from  its  first  issue,  and  to  whom  it  ever  came 
as  a  message  from  God,  next  to  the  Bible. 

"Father  was  an  honest  man.  He  went  to  heaven 
without  a  dishonest  penny  left  to  his  family.  Living 
among  the  society  of  friends,  scrupulously  honest,  any 
deflection  would  have  been  easily  detected.  One  of 
them  said,  'He  was  a  guiding  star.'  In  word,  promise, 
dealing,  religious  profession  he  never  knew  deception. 
He  had  the  common  weaknesses  of  men,  but  was  honest 
in  his  heart  of  hearts.  No  father  ever  held  to  him  the 
profounder  faith  of  his  family  as  to  piety  and  moral 
integrity  than  he.  He  was  the  first  and  last  man  in 
whom  they  trusted  as  a  Christian." 

What  of  a  boy  and  man  who  had  such  a  father  and 
mother,  and  who  loved  them  with  such  reverent  devo- 
tion? He  will  never  go  far  wrong.  His  affection  for 
his  parents  in  his  childhood  found  unfailing  expres- 
sion in  the  respect  and  obedience  due  them,  and  in 
manhood,  with  the  cares  and  responsibilities  of  his  own 
home,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  strenuous  demands  of 
official  duties,  he  never  ceased  to  cherish  with  a  tender 
fondness  the  ones  to  whom  he  was  not  only  indebted  for 
his  being,  but  for  the  heritage  of  wise  and  godly  train- 
ing. 

Dr.  Hott  had  a  very  high  appreciation  of  friendship. 
Once  when  describing  "Some  Kinds  of  Friends"  he 
mentioned  last  of  all  one  of  whom  he  says :  "Somehow 
he  loves  you.  You  do  not  know  how  or  why  he  does  so, 
but  you  can  see  and  feel  that  you  have  a  place  in  his 
heart.  He  is  pleased  when  you  show  appreciations,  be- 
cause somehow  he  lets  you  feel  that  your  sympathy  and 
good  opinion  and  love  are  something  within  themselves 
which  he  prizes  highly.  He  rejoices  in  your  superiority 
and  independence.  When  your  own  mind  and  heart 
act  for  themselves,  he  looks  upon  them  with  fooling 
somewhat  akin  to  those  of  a  mother's  heart  when  she 
sees  her  babe  stand  up  and  walk  across  the  floor  alone. 


80      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Ilott 

When  you  enter  upon  a  career  of  prosperity  be  rejoices 
with  you  and  bids  you  God-speed.  He  judges  your 
worth,  and  breathes  a  double  blessing  on  your  achieve- 
ment. When  you  sorrow  and  are  sore  afflicted,  he  pours 
out  his  tears  with  yours,  and  through  all  the  long  dark 
night  of  sorrow  he  sits  at  your  side  and  mysteriously 
lifts  the  burden  and  gloom  from  your  heavy  heart  by 
the  silent  tears  that  fall  and  the  warm  heart-thrdb  that 
yearns  to  bear  away  your  pains.  When  you  suffer  and 
when  you  sin,  he  still  comes  close  to  your  side  and  ten- 
derly, lovingly  lifts  you  up  to  your  former  self  again. 
He  never  lets  you  go.  Through  changes  of  youth, 
through  trials  of  manhood,  through  falls  and  blunders 
and  pains  and  sorrows  and  defeats  and  successes  he 
still  holds  fast  your  hand,  and  ever  tries  to  lift  you  up. 
He  reminds  you  of  your  mother.  He  makes  you  think 
of  Christ,  or  the  God  of  boundless  sympathy  and  love, 
somewhere  in  the  universe,  who  holds  you  up.  Such  a 
friend  is  worth  millions.  Be  such  a  friend  as  that  to 
some  sad  heart.     Surely  it  is  Christlike  to  be  such." 

On  "Keeping  Sweet" :  "A  man  to  be  a  success  as  a 
Christian  must  absolutely  keep  sweet.  Pickles  may  do 
well  enough  in  their  place;  but  if  it  please  the  Master, 
let  us  have  as  few  of  them  in  the  church  as  possible. 
Let  us  keep  our  people  sweet  by  seeking  to  have  our- 
selves and  them  filled  with  the  love  of  Christ." 

In  the  midst  of  a  great  revival  in  which  he  was  an 
interested  and  valued  worker,  the  editor  wrote :  "Men 
are  not  made  godlike  by  towering  intellect,  or  by  mar- 
velous intellectual  achievements,  but  by  humble  and  un- 
sullied love.  The  likeness  is  a  heart  likeness.  Men 
have  divine  power  who  have  heart  power.  This  heart 
power  is  not  a  mere  blubber  of  the  emotions,  but  a  tre- 
mendous engine  which  drives  the  whole  machinery  of 
life.  It  enables  a  man  to  undertake  that  which  is  to 
others  regarded  as  impossible.  It  makes  the  world's 
heroes,  and  to  heroism  adds  giant  achievements.    Heart 


Editorial  Table  Talk  81 

power  strikes  the  heart  and  takes  possession  of  the  cita- 
del of  man's  nature.  A  preacher  without  a  heart  be- 
hind his  work  is  a  feeble  instrument  in  the  Master's 
cause,  no  matter  how  talented  or  eloquent  he  may  be." 

In  an  editorial  homily  on  "Old  Nails,"  a  stinging  re- 
buke is  given  to  those  who  practice  repeating  old  ser- 
mons, "big  sermons,"  "sugar-sticks."  They  often  re- 
mind the  hearer  of  the  remark  of  the  colored  brother 
to  his  master  respecting  the  rock-powder  with  which  he 
was  trying  to  burst  a  rock:  "To  tell  the  truth,  massa," 
he  said,  "I  beliebe  dat  powder  was  shot  once  afore." 
"These  old  sermons,  like  rusty  nails,  will  not  drive  well. 
They  will  not  fasten  in  a  sure  place.  They  are  often 
weak  just  where  they  should  be  strong.  It  may  seem 
like  economy  and  time-saving  to  use  these  rusty  old 
sermons,  but  it  is  not  so.  If  you  want  to  have  real 
sweetness  and  pleasure  in  preaching  the  blessed  word 
of  Christ  you  must  throw  away  the  old  sermons  and 
dig  down  into  the  sacred  mine  of  God's  wealth,  and 
bring  out  the  burning  new  truths  which  God  has 
planted  there  especially  for  us." 

This  advice  was  strictly  in  harmony  with  the  writer's 
own  practice. 

On  "Care  for  the  Children" :  "The  little  boy  of  to- 
day will  be  the  preacher  and  teacher  and  business-man 
of  to-morrow.  The  little  girl  of  to-day  will  be  the  ten- 
der minister  of  the  home  to-morrow.  In  a  few  days  the 
whole  mass  of  men  and  women  who  stand  in  the  cur- 
rent of  toil  and  trade  to-day  will  be  in  eternity,  and 
the  children  you  pass  indifferently  by  will  stand  in 
their  places.  He  who  speaks  a  kind  word  to  the  child 
of  to-day  puts  a  smile  on  the  brow  of  to-morrow.  He 
who  directs  the  current  of  thought,  affection,  and  pur- 
suit of  the  child  of  to-day  makes  the  destiny  of  to- 
morrow.   Care  for  the  children." 

Few  men  have  written  more  felicitously  of  home  than 
did  the  editor  of  the  Telescope  at  various  times.  Ha 
I 


82      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

himself  had  a  beautiful  home,  and  he  knew  well  the 
secret  of  its  delightful  charms.  He  says:  "Home  is 
the  synonym  of  love.  And  yet  there  are  homes,  so 
called,  with  but  little  love ;  and  so  it  comes  to  pass  that 
there  are  homes  and  homes  where  husbands  and  wives, 
fathers  and  mothers,  brothers  and  sisters,  keep  the  heart 
concealed.  But  here  is  not  home.  Give  us  the  home 
where  the  heart  of  love  comes  to  the  forefront ;  where 
the  husband  loves  the  wife,  and  is  not  afraid  to  let  her 
know  it ;  where  he  loves  his  children,  and  is  willing  that 
it  should  go  on  record.  There  are  homes  that  are  shriv- 
eled and  dying,  and  from  which  the  children  turn  away 
to  haunts  of  vice,  frozen  to  death  because  there  is  no 
love,  deep  and  blessed,  building  its  foundations  of  faith 
and  its  fires  of  devotion." 

A  good  lesson  is  taught,  characteristically  drawn 
from  an  incident  once  observed  in  his  travels,  which 
was  put  into  an  editorial  entitled  "On  the  Wrong 
Train."  One  paragraph  reads:  "A  young  man,  seek- 
ing a  companion  for  life  in  his  own  home,  who  chooses 
a  haughty  spirit  or  a  gadabout,  dancing,  flirt  of  a  girl, 
links  his  destiny  with  the  wrong  train.  She  will  land 
him  in  disgrace.  He  would  better  go  to  the  prayer- 
meeting  to  seek  a  wife,  and  to  the  home  of  pious  influ- 
ences and  habits.  He  will  reach  a  better  destination 
by  a  much  more  pleasant  route." 

The  holiday  greetings  of  Dr.  Hott  always  contained 
sweet  and  inspiring  messages  of  hope,  cheer,  and  trust. 
At  Christmas,  1885,  he  said:  "We  would  wipe  away 
every  sorrowful  tear  on  this  glad  day.  We  would 
smooth  out  every  furrow  from  the  cheek  of  the  aged 
with  the  delight  which  should  spread  over  every  coun- 
tenance. We  would  place  a  smile  on  every  cheek  and 
a  song  in  every  mouth.  The  laughter  should  be  holy 
gladness,  and  the  song  a  melody  of  praise  to  our  God. 
We  would  garnish  the  overshadowing  heavens  with  the 
streams  of  light,  and  over  every  sorrow  of  the  past  a 


Editorial  Table  Talk  83 

bow  of  promise  should  span  eternal  arches  of  hope  for 
the  times  to  come." 

In  the  same  year  this  was  a  part  of  his  New-Year 
greeting :  "A  happy  New  Year !  What  better  than  this 
can  we  wish  you?  May  your  hearts  be  filled  with  love 
to  God  and  your  fellow-men,  and  your  own  hearts  reap 
the  harvest  which  comes  from  a  life  growing  out  of 
such  a  spirit.  May  every  day  of  your  life  prove  a  step 
heavenward — homeward — to  the  land  of  song  unend- 
ing, and  glory  unclouded,  bliss  eternal." 

Thanksgiving,  1888:  "And  so  the  annual  season  of 
our  thanksgiving  has  come  again.  Again  we  turn  our 
opening  hearts  to  the  great  Sun,  whose  beams  of  love 
and  tenderness  have  shone  upon  us  another  full  year. 
The  winter  brought  of  snow  and  rain.  The  spring- 
time brought  the  carpeted  green  of  earth,  and  new  hope 
and  promise  in  a  newly-waking  life.  The  summer  ful- 
filled the  promise  of  the  opening  spring,  and  handed 
the  fruits  and  grains  to  autumn  to  ripen  for  the  garner 
and  storehouse;  and  so  God  has  been  merciful  to  all  his 
people." 

The  preaching  needed  to-day:  "The  spiritual 
preacher  of  to-day  is  the  man  the  people  want  to  hear. 
He  who  comes  freshest  from  the  throne  of  God  will 
have  the  people  to  hear  him,  and  that  gladly.  The 
man  who  brings  the  burning  message  of  Christ  and 
eternal  things  to  the  people  with  the  loving  heart  of 
the  Master  will  have  no  lack  of  hearers."  This  was 
said  in  a  strong  editorial  on  "The  Christianity  of  To- 
day." 

As  editor  of  the  Telescope,  Dr.  Hott  never  lost  his 
passion  for  soul-winning.  In  the  revival  season  he 
always  sought  to  make  the  paper  especially  helpful  to 
pastors.  In  February,  1886,  in  writing  of  the  greatest 
of  all  works,  he  said:  "It  is  the  greatest  of  all  works 
to  lead  a  soul  to  Christ,  when  looked  upon  from  its 
manward  and  benevolent  side.    What  can  any  man  do 


84r      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

for  a  fellow  to  be  compared  with  introducing  him  to 
the  acquaintance  and  fellowship  of  such  a  Christ  V 

A  beautiful  and  tender  Easter  message,  1886,  opens 
thus:  "The  world  saw  a  new  life  on  the  morning  of 
the  third  day  after  the  burial  of  Jesus.  While  Marj 
Magdalene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  and  Salome 
prepared  the  spices  that  they  might  come  and  anoint 
the  body  of  Jesus,  the  angels  were  coming  down  to 
open  the  grave,  not  for  the  anointing,  but  for  the  com- 
ing forth  of  the  living  Jesus.  The  events  of  that  morn- 
ing are  wonderful  to  contemplate." 

Power  of  a  tear:  "The  mightiest  material  force  in 
the  world  is  a  tear.  The  most  eloquent  utterance  that 
is  ever  made  by  man  to  his  fellow-man  is  that  made  in 
a  tear.  It  is  the  most  divine  of  all  expressions.  It  is 
nearer  God  than  ten  thousand  armies.  It  is  the  tear 
that  utters  the  thought  of  the  soul.  It  speaks  the  direct 
language  of  the  inner  being.  Words  come  of  intellect 
and  reason  and  thought.  Tears  come  from  the  heart. 
Words  speak  the  conclusions  of  cold  logic,  stern  and 
real.  The  tear  is  just  the  soul  speaking,  regardless  of 
all  that  is  in  the  universe.  It  asks  no  questions  about 
this  or  that,  about  the  here  or  the  yonder.  It  tells  its 
own  pathetic  and  tender  story,  without  regard  to  aught 
that  is,  and  hindered  by  all  that  words  can  mention. 
The  tear  is  no  irrigation  of  thought;  it  is  the  rain- 
fall of  the  clear,  lofty  heavens  of  the  soul ;  it  is  the  dew- 
fall  from  the  inner  skies;  it  is  the  distilled  manna  of 
God  in  our  wilderness." 

Memorial  Day  suggested  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the 
ministry  of  flowers  on  many  occasions,  and  closes  as 
follows:  "Never  comes  the  ministry  of  flowers  so 
sweet  and  so  profound  as  when  they  garland  the  cham- 
ber and  the  casket  where  lies  a  mother,  a  sister,  a  wife, 
a  daughter,  or  a  darling  little  babe  cold  and  quiet  in 
the  bosom  of  death.  What  language  of  love  and  blend- 
ing hope  and  unmeasured  sorrow  they  tell!     The  pil- 


Editorial  Table  Talk  85 

low  of  bloom  with  the  immortelle  of  'Mother,'  'Rest,'— 
what  love  is  pillowed  there !  That  harp  of  beauty  and 
fragrance,  what  a  strain  of  sorrow  floats  over  its  silent 
strings  of  roses  and  lilies  and  forget-me-nots!  Those 
blooming  crowns  remind  us  of  love's  coronation." 

When  in  California,  in  1887,  Dr.  Hott  met  with  a 
painful  accident,  which  led  to  the  writing  of  a  sugges- 
tive meditation  on  "Shut  in  with  God,"  in  which  the 
following  touching  paragraph  occurs:  "For  two  weeks 
the  writer  has  been  held  the  prisoner  of  suffering  and 
disappointment.  Wherein  he  has  been  shut  out  from 
the  pursuits  and  plans  and  hopes  of  life,  he  has  been 
shut  in  with  God.  New  fields  of  meditation  have  been 
opened.  Other  arenas  of  grace  have  been  discovered. 
Places  and  plans  of  God's  love  and  goodness  in  sur- 
prising communion  with  him  have  been  made  known. 
Where  before  there  was  naught  but  barren  and  deso- 
late deserts,  there  have  sprung  up  fountains  of  living 
water.  Where  there  was  no  voice  of  love  and  cheer, 
there  have  been  all  day  long  the  singing  of  birds  and 
the  music  of  celestial  spheres." 

What  compensations  are  here  for  pain  and  disap- 
pointment ! 

Some  of  Dr.  Hott's  sayings  are  of  the  type  of 
proverbs,  choice  epigrams,  happy  sentences,  bright  and 
luminous  with  the  wisdom  that  comes  from  above.  A 
few  of  thousands  which  might  be  given  follow,  closing 
this  chapter: 

"The  man  who  manifests  a  spirit  thoroughly  candid 
and  Christian  is  worthy  of  the  respect  of  his  stoutest 
opponents,  and  has  it." 

"Beware  of  mingling  in  a  family  feud  or  a  church 
quarrel." 

"Remember  that  a  clean  conscience  is  worth  more 
than  all  gold." 

"It  does  not  matter  how  ugly  a  man  is  if  his  heart 
is  only  right." 


SG      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Ilott 

"It  is  to  the  discredit  of  the  church  when  the  sur- 
roundings of  a  church-house  or  parsonage  are  wanting 
in  neatness  and  good  order." 

"Original  men  are  wanted  nowadays — men  who  are 
heroic  and  wise  enough  to  do  good  in  the  every-day 
opportunities  of  life." 

"Faith  travels  best  up  hill." 

"Goodness  toils  by  its  own  methods.  It  wins  by  its 
own  smiles.    It  conquers  with  its  own  sword  of  gold." 

"Test  your  religion  by  the  command  to  love  your 
enemies." 

"The  love  of  novelty  has  destroyed  thousands  of 
souls." 

"Prayer  is  the  sublimest  attitude  ever  assumed  by 
fallen  man." 

"The  Christian's  joy  is  one  of  love,  of  friendship,  of 
safety,  of  inheritance,  of  life,  beauty,  hope,  triumph, 
and  assurance.  It  is  the  joy  of  the  day — an  eternal 
day." 

"Backbone  in  character  is  a  good  thing  where  it  has 
a  body  to  suit  it." 

"If  God  appoints  the  duty,  he  will  also  give  the 
strength." 

"The  desire  for  immediate  returns  has  always  been 
shortsighted  and  at  war  with  the  true  riches  of  faith." 

"No  man  can  attain  to  a  life  of  greatness  or  gran- 
deur or  goodness  without  his  mind  and  heart  are  first 
possessed  of  a  great  desire.  Great  deeds  are  born  of 
great  desires  and  great  ambitions.  Great  lives  come 
of  great  ideas." 

"In  soul-saving  it  is  of  supreme  importance  that  we 
rightly  appreciate  the  value  of  saving  one  soul.  Indi- 
vidual, personal  work  is  the  most  successful  of  all  ef- 
forts for  souls." 

"It  is  the  utmost  folly  to  run  after  one's  accusers. 
Nothing  is  to  be  gained  by  so  doing,  and  much  may  be 
lost." 


Editorial  Table  Talk  b7 

"No  man  can  safely  run  the  heavenly  way  who  does 
not  keep  his  eye  steadily  on  the  track.  The  success 
of  the  Christian  does  not  depend  so  much  on  good  reso- 
lutions and  good  impulses  and  good  desires,  good  as  all 
these  are  and  essential,  as  upon  constant  faithfulness. 
Steady,  ceaseless  piety,  which  watches  every  moment, 
will  see  the  signal  of  danger  and  discern  the  finger- 
board of  God." 

"At  home  is  the  place  to  establish  the  fundamentals 
of  a  pious  life.  Christ  told  the  demoniac  to  go  home  to 
his  own  house,  and  show  his  kindred  what  great  things 
the  Lord  had  done  for  him.  There  is  where  he  sends 
us  now." 

"No  one  should  trouble  himself  about  false  accusa- 
tions. Let  him  be  sure  they  are  false,  and  then  leave 
them  to  die  unnoticed.  They  will  die,  and  the  darts 
of  the  accuser  will  recoil  upon  himself  and  to  his  cer- 
tain shame  and  sorrow." 

"The  world  will  keep  Christmas  to  the  end  of  time. 
Its  memories  will  grow  more  hallowed  and  sweet  with 
every  passing  year." 

"There  is  no  duty  in  which  you  may  not  find  a  pleas- 
ure for  Christ's  sake." 

"Just  a  few  grains  of  holy  living  are  worth  more 
tUan  a  bushel  of  loud  professions." 

"We  will  never  make  friends  by  lamenting  that  we 
have  none,  or  by  blaming  others  for  our  not  being  the 
object  of  the  good  feelings  and  kindly  considerations 
of  those  about  us.  We  would  better  set  ourselves  to 
loving  somebody." 

"God's  calendar  has  but  one  day — that  is  to-day." 

"Satan's  calendar  has  but  one  day — that  is  to-mor- 
row." 

"There  is  not  a  grief  possible  to  the  human  heart 
that  Jesus  cannot  assuage.  There  is  not  a  sorrow  that 
can  press  the  soul  that  he  cannot  lift.  There  is  not  a 
trouble  that  can  roll  over  the  bosom  of  mortals  that 


88      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

Christ  cannot  roll  back.  His  presence  is  paradise.  His 
truth  is  a  rock  of  safety.  His  promise  is  a  draft  on 
infinite  resources.  His  providences  are  the  training- 
school  of  happiness.    His  love  is  heaven." 

"Love  is  a  giver,  and  is  thus  excellent  above  all  other 
graces." 

"The  opportunity  of  an  education  is  an  opportunity 
that  comes  to  life  but  once.  If  the  strategic  hour  is 
lost  once,  it  is  lost  forever." 

"Would  you  move  men  to  a  better  life,  then  move 
yourself." 

"Awhile  ago  there  were  great  councils  of  the  church 
to  discuss  and  proclaim  dogmas  and  try  heretics;  but 
to-day  the  sublimest  spectacle  the  sun  ever  looked  upon 
since  it  saw  God  in  human  flesh  in  the  person  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  union  of  Christian  effort  in  the  accom- 
plishing of  the  objects  for  which  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God, 
died  on  Calvary  eighteen  hundred  years  ago." 

"Make  Christ  and  his  love  and  his  religion  supreme 
in  your  home,  and  you  will  always  have  a  happy  home." 

"A  great  heart  and  a  noble  soul  cannot  descend  to 
personal  animosities  and  bitter  hatreds  even  toward  an 
enemy." 

Those  who  knew  James  W.  Hott  well  will  easily  rec- 
ognize in  these  brief  sayings  of  his  a  striking  likeness 
of  him  as  a  man  and  as  a  humble  follower  of  the  Man 
of  Galilee. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Traveler,  Lecturer,  Author. 

The  General  Conference  of  1881  authorized  the  ap- 
pointment of  two  delegates  to  attend  the  Methodist 
Ecumenical  Conference,  to  be  held  in  London,  in  Sep- 
tember of  that  year.  There  was  some  objection  to  this 
action  on  the  ground  that  the  United  Brethren  Church 
is  not  a  Methodist  body.  However,  it  was  agreed  that, 
as  the  conference  was  to  be  made  up  of  representatives 
from  churches  holding  the  Arminian  theology,  it  was 
perfectly  consistent  for  the  United  Brethren  to  have 
representation  in  this  important  gathering.  There- 
upon, Dr.  H.  A.  Thompson  and  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Hott 
were  appointed  delegates,  with  the  Rev.  W.  J.  Shuey 
and  Dr.  Z.  Warner  as  alternates. 

For  weeks  following  the  General  Conference,  Mr. 
Hott  was  busy  in  arranging  for  his  trip  abroad.  July 
27  he  took  his  leave  of  Dayton,  placing  the  Religious 
Telescope  in  the  hands  of  his  new  assistant,  who  had 
then  been  in  the  office  but  two  weeks.  He  first  went  to 
his  old  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  left  his  family  with 
his  parents,  with  whom  they  were  to  sojourn  during  his 
absence. 

After  the  editor's  departure,  his  assistant,  in  an  edi- 
torial entitled,  "Behind  the  Editor's  Back,"  took  occa- 
sion to  say  some  things  about  him  that  would  serve 
to  give  his  readers  a  better  knowledge  of  his  character 
and  work,  and  to  awaken  special  interest  in  his  foreign 
travels.  After  giving  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  and 
labors  of  Mr.  Hott,  the  editorial  referred  to  said :  "A 
delicate  and  beautiful  compliment  was  paid  Brother 

89 


90      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

Hott  at  the  General  Conference  when  the  bishops  ap- 
pointed him,  with  Dr.  Thompson,  to  represent  the 
United  Brethren  Church  in  the  Ecumenical  Confer- 
ence of  Arminian  and  Methodist  churches  which  meets 
in  London,  England,  in  the  early  part  of  September 
next.  .  .  .  He  will  leave  New  York  on  the  steamer 
City  of  Berlin  August  6.  He  expects  to  make  a  tour 
through  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  before  the 
conference,  and  afterwards  spend  a  month  on  the  con- 
tinent, going  as  far  east  as  Switzerland.  This  trip 
will  occupy  a  number  of  weeks,  and  will  furnish  the 
editor  a  grand  opportunity  for  needed  rest  and  that 
recuperation  which  wearied  human  nature  requires. 
And  the  whole  Church  will  join  in  the  prayer  that  such 
rest  and  recuperation  of  body  and  mind  may  come  to 
him  as  will  enable  him  yet  to  give  many  years  to  the 
Master's  service.  Brother  Hott  will  continue  to  write 
for  the  Telescope  during  his  absence.  The  weekly  let- 
ters from  his  pen  which  we  shall  have  will  be  a  feature 
of  general  interest  and  delight  to  all  the  Telescope 
family." 

After  a  farewell  meeting,  held  in  the  old  John  Street 
Methodist  Church,  in  New  York,  in  which  many  of 
the  delegates  to  the  London  conference  participated, 
the  good  ship,  City  of  Berlin,  one  of  the  best  steamers 
then  crossing  the  Atlantic,  was  boarded,  and  the  good- 
bys  to  friends  and  native  land  were  taken. 

The  voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  barring  sea-sickness, 
was  a  delightful  one.  The  passengers  were  a  noble  com- 
pany of  men  and  women,  many  of  them  having  emi- 
nence in  different  parts  of  the  United  States — minis- 
ters, lawyers,  journalists,  prominent  business  men,  and 
others.  In  an  account  of  the  voyage,  in  a  letter  to  the 
Telescope,  Mr.  Hott  said :  "It  is  to  be  doubted  whether 
ever  a  company  of  persons  crossed  the  Atlantic  more 
pleasantly,  or  found  more  congenial  associations  in 
a  voyage.     As  we  near  Queenstown,  where  many  per- 


Traveler,  Lecturer,  Author  91 

sons  will  leave  the  ship,  there  is  real  sorrow  at  the 
thought  of  parting." 

After  a  voyage  of  eight  days,  land  was  sighted,  "the 
grandest  thing  possible"  at  such  a  time.  After  passing 
the  custom-house  at  Queenstown,  those  intending  to 
land  there  did  not  do  so  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
hotels  were  crowded,  but  were  taken  by  special  steamer 
to  Cork,  where  they  landed  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  having  had  a  delightful  moonlight  ride  up 
the  river  Lee. 

Here  a  company  of  twenty-six  was  organized  for  a 
tour  through  Ireland,  Scotland,  and  England,  under 
the  tourist  agent,  Mr.  E.  M.  Jenkins,  of  New  York. 
The  trip  through  the  southern  part  of  the  Emerald 
Isle  was  made  on  Irish  jaunting-cars,  two-wheeled  ve- 
hicles, well  suited  to  sight-seeing.  This  trip  was  taken 
by  Mr.  Hott  with  enthusiastic  delight.  He  wrote 
charming  accounts  of  his  visits  to  historic  places, 
places  rendered  famous  in  literature  and  in  connection 
with  notable  names.  Then  his  keen  eye  did  not  over- 
look statues  and  monuments  of  poets  and  soldiers  and 
patriots,  the  old  and  noted  castles,  cathedrals,  and  other 
places  of  absorbing  interest  in  this  land  of  legends  and 
romance.  His  whole  being  was  thrilled  with  satisfac- 
tion as  he  visited  the  scenes  of  the  labors  of  the  witty 
Dean  Swift,  the  poet,  Goldsmith,  the  orator,  Burke, 
the  great  commentator,  Adam  Clarke,  and  others  illus- 
trious in  history  and  song. 

The  same  fascinating  experiences  were  enjoyed  in 
Scotland  and  England.  Mr.  Hott  wrote  extensively  of 
all  he  saw  and  of  the  impressions  made  on  him  during 
his  travels.  He  was  a  close  observer,  and,  besides,  his 
familiarity  with  history  enabled  him  to  "take  in"  vastly 
more  than  is  the  case  with  the  average  traveler.  Of 
him  it  was  said  by  a  friend  while  he  was  taking  this 
trip  through  many  lands,  that  everything  he  touched 
stuck  to  him.    This  was  said  in  commendation  of  bis* 


92      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  IIoM 

rare  facility  in  observation,  and  in  reference  to  kis 
ability  to  describe  so  well  the  things  his  eyes  looked 
upon  in  the  Old  World. 

But  his  extensive  writing  meant  a  laborious  trip; 
for  while  his  days  were  spent  in  sight-seeing  and  in 
taking  notes,  his  nights  were  often  largely  taken  up  im 
writing  his  graphic  sketches  for  the  Telescope,  whil« 
his  fellow-travelers  were  asleep.  Yet  in  all  his  journey- 
ings  he  found  a  strange  exhilaration  and  joy  from 
which  he  never  wearied.  Like  the  eager  hunter  in  pur- 
suit of  bewitching  game,  so  this  traveler  was  lured  on 
from  day  to  day  with  high  hopes  and  with  oft-repeated 
surprises  in  the  privileges  and  opportunities  afforded. 

The  Ecumenical  Conference  was  in  session  eight 
days  in  London.  This  was  a  great  meeting,  leading- 
divines  and  educators  of  the  Arminian  bodies  of  the 
world  participating  in  the  deliberations.  The  inspira- 
tional features  of  the  conference,  together  with  its  op- 
portunities for  world-wide  fellowships,  were  among  the 
chief  advantages  realized. 

During  his  stay  in  London,  almost  two  weeks,  our 
visitor  was  the  guest  of  Mr.  W.  Saxby  and  family,  who 
showed  him  much  kindness,  which  he  greatly  ap- 
preciated. These  weeks  in  the  world's  metropolis  fur- 
nished ample  opportunities  for  the  study  of  many 
phases  of  London  life,  and  for  visiting  Westminster 
Abbey  and  other  places  rich  in  historic  and  other  memo- 
ries. The  results  of  these  observations  and  study  were 
given  in  a  number  of  most  interesting  letters,  entitled 
"Strayings  About  London."  These  included  accounts 
of  his  visits  to  places  and  institutions  of  most  absorb- 
ing interest  with  capable  guides,  thus  affording  him 
the  best  possible  advantages  for  pleasing  and  instruc- 
tive observations.  Among  the  privileges  he  enjoyed 
while  in  London,  he  esteemed  none  higher  than  hear- 
ing such  preachers  of  renown  as  Charles  H.  Spurgeon 
and  Newman  Hall,  in  their  own  churches. 


Traveler,  Lecturer,  Author  93 

At  the  first  Mr.  Hott's  tour  abroad  was  not  planned 
to  extend  much  beyond  London ;  but  when  there  he 
felt  his  trip  would  lack  completeness,  both  for  himself 
and  the  Church,  unless  he  should  farther  continue  his 
travels.  Hence,  on  the  17th  of  September  he  left  Lorn 
don  for  Rome,  going  by  the  way  of  Paris,  where  a  Sab- 
bath was  passed.  The  stop  in  this  city  was  short,  and 
yet  it  was  long  enough  to  get  a  good  view  of  Parisian 
life.  The  aim  was  to  join  the  Palestine  company  afc 
Pisa,  and  then  visit  Florence,  the  city  of  art,  and  then 
go  on  to  Rome.  A  few  days  in  this  classic  city,  with 
its  history  of  thousands  of  years,  and  its  memories, 
sacred  and  otherwise,  had  entrancing  interest.  The 
sight  of  ancient  ruins,  the  catacombs,  and  noted  paint- 
ings of  the  masters,  made  a  profound  impression. 

A  week  was  spent  at  Athens,  a  week  in  Constanti- 
nople, and  then  the  voyage  was  continued,  landing  at 
Beirut,  the  seaport  of  Syria.  From  here  a  tour  of 
Syria  and  the  Holy  Land  was  made,  occupying  about 
thirty  days.  The  company  consisted  of  twelve  tourists, 
besides  numerous  guides,  stewards,  and  muleteers. 

The  dream  of  years  was  now  about  to  be  realized, 
and  the  land  made  sacred  in  Bible  story  was  to  be 
traversed  from  north  to  south.  The  entire  trip  was 
made  on  horseback,  and  this  mode  of  travel,  and  dwell- 
ing in  tents  at  night,  furnished  afterwards  the  theme 
of  one  of  his  most  entertaining  lectures,  "Tent  Life  in 
Palestine."  It  was  one  of  the  crowning  joys  of  his  life 
to  have  had  the  privilege  of  visiting  Jerusalem,  Beth- 
lehem, and  the  Jordan  Valley,  and  other  places  sacred 
in  memories  indescribably  dear  to  the  Christian  be- 
liever. These  scenes  made  a  deep  and  lasting  impres- 
sion on  both  his  mind  and  heart. 

The  time  from  November  26  to  December  6  was  spent 
in  Egypt,  among  its  strange  scenes  and  peoples.  This 
land  is  likewise  full  of  sacred  associations,  and  its  cus- 
toms and  history,  its  monuments  and  ruins  were  sub- 
jects for  most  interesting  observation  and  study. 


94      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

Spending  a  Sunday  in  Cairo,  Mr.  Hott  was  asked 
to  preach  in  the  United  Presbyterian  mission  in  that 
city.  Having  only  a  tourist  suit  with  him,  he  said  to 
the  other  preachers  of  the  company  who  had  their  cleri- 
cal apparel  with  them,  "Lend  me  a  suit  and  I  will 
preach."  The  suit  was  forthcoming,  and  he  preached 
at  the  hour  of  the  English  service,  with  his  usual  readi- 
ness and  delight. 

From  Alexandria  the  homeward  journey  was  begun, 
December  6.  The  return  trip  was  by  the  way  of 
Triest,  Venice,  Milan,  Paris,  London,  sailing  from 
Liverpool  December  22,  and  reaching  New  York,  Janu- 
ary 2,  1882,  after  an  absence  of  five- months. 

During  these  months  so  full  of  interest  everywhere, 
Mr.  Hott  had  traveled  over  16,000  miles— 11,000  on 
water  and  5,000  on  land.  About  500  miles  were  trav- 
eled on  horseback  and  on  donkeys  while  in  Palestine 
and  Egypt — all  making  a  most  remarkable  journey, 
rich  in  varied  and  instructive  experiences  and  in  pleas- 
ant and  inspiring  memories. 

Writing  for  the  Telescope,  the  returning  editor  said : 
"Glad  to  get  back?  Glad  to  get  to  America  again! 
Glad  to  get  home?  Who  can  tell  how  glad?  Who  can 
appreciate  it  but  one  who  has  experienced  it?  The 
cars  had  been  too  slow  and  the  vessel  too  tardy  with  the 
waves.  The  nights  were  too  long  and  the  days  too 
tedious.  But  days  and  nights  came  and  went,  and 
God  was  good ;  and  Tuesday  morning,  January  3,  I  was 
again  with  my  little  family  under  father's  and  mother's 
roof,  with  brothers  and  sisters  who  had  come  to  wel- 
come my  return,  .  .  .  and  that  was  the  happiest 
hour  I  ever  saw." 

"Of  all  countries  upon  our  globe  none  is  fairer  than 
our  own  broad  land.  Egypt  and  Palestine  garner  won- 
derful and  sacred  treasures  of  antiquity.  Greece,  Italy, 
and  indeed  all  Europe  are  full  of  the  foot-prints  of 
the  giant  Time,  who  has  led  his  hosts  of  kings,  poets, 


Traveler,  Lecturer,  Author  95 

architects,  artists,  and  warriors  over  the  mountains 
and  the  plains,  and  through  cities  of  renown.  There 
are  tropical  skies  in  which  the  heavens  appear  more 
glorious,  and  under  which  delicate  flowers  and  fruits 
grow  more  luxuriantly  in  valleys  guarded  by  the  Alps 
and  the  Appenines.  There  are  in  England  a  wealth 
and  a  strength  of  government  which  have  elements  ono 
would  like  to  weave  into  our  own  republic;  but  in 
America  there  is  an  individuality  and  personal  man- 
hood which,  with  all  its  perils,  is  our  crown  of  glory. 
Our  free  institutions  and  free  church,  and  our  free 
people  and  almost  boundless  plains,  make  a  garden  of 
retreat  for  the  oppressed  of  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
Here  every  man  may  have  a  home,  every  heart  its  joy, 
every  woman  her  love,  and  every  man  his  family.  Here 
God  in  his  providence  and  grace  is  working  out  a  new 
problem  in  the  destiny  of  the  race,  and  making  a  new 
revelation  of  himself  to  the  world." 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  how  the  travels  of  the  editor 
abroad  served  to  enhance  his  appreciation  of  his  home 
land.  This  trip  through  distant  lands  was  of  great 
value,  not  only  in  increasing  his  resources  of  knowl- 
edge and  broadening  his  life,  but  in  furnishing  him 
almost  limitless  materials  for  use  in  his  future  work. 

The  educational  value  of  a  trip  of  this  kind  is  by  no 
means  small.  There  were  good  opportunities  for  the 
study  of  ancient  history  under  favoring  conditions, 
and  for  the  investigation  of  present-day  conditions, 
social,  political,  and  otherwise.  And  with  one  so  ready 
to  see  and  learn,  such  a  tour  had  advantages  which 
only  those  making  it  can  adequately  appreciate. 

Mr.  Hott's  travels  in  this  country  were  very  exten- 
sive, through  many  years  his  work  and  the  interests  he 
represented  making  this  both  desirable  and  necessary. 
He  was  such  an  observant  traveler  that  in  this  way  he 
gained  much  in  his  knowledge  of  the  Church  and  the 
country   in  their  wide  interests   and   relations.     His 


96       Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

visits  to  the  Yosemite  Valley,  California,  and  to  other 
places  where  the  natural  scenery  has  such  charms  to 
the  appreciative  beholder,  were  utilized,  not  merely  to 
his  own  profit,  but  to  multitudes  who  read  the  fascinat- 
ing sketches  written  from  these  marvelous  scenes.  It 
is  safe  to  say  that  few  travelers  had  so  great  ability  to 
get  so  much  out  of  new  and  old  scenes  and  in  meeting 
people  as  did  he. 

During  the  winter  of  1894  and  extending  to  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  he  made  an  episcopal  visit  to  Africa  and 
Germany,  which  will  be  spoken  of  elsewhere  in  con- 
nection with  his  official  life. 

After  his  return  from  his  travels  abroad  he  was  much 
in  demand  for  lectures.  He  had  been  a  popular  plat- 
form speaker,  however,  for  many  years  before  this,  one 
of  his  best  lectures  being  that  on  "Character,"  which 
was  both  entertaining  and  instructive,  and  having 
special  value  to  young  people.  He  lectured  frequently 
for  churches,  schools,  and  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociations on  a  variety  of  themes  chiefly  of  a  practical 
character.  Of  his  several  lectures  on  his  travels,  none 
was  more  popular  than  that  "With  the  Bible  in  Bible 
Lands."  He  had  visited  these  lands  with  his  eyes  open, 
and  with  the  Bible  open  as  well,  verifying  historic 
statements  and  allusions  to  places,  manners  and  cus- 
toms, etc.,  and  so  he  was  able  to  make  many  things  in 
the  Scripture  narrative  more  real  and  earthly,  and  yet 
more  divine  and  precious. 

As  a  lecturer  Mr.  Hott  had  the  happy  faculty  of 
readily  putting  himself  in  accord  with  things.  This 
was  evidenced  once  in  a  characteristic  way  when  he 
was  to  deliver  a  lecture  some  distance  from  Dayton. 
His  train  was  late.  When  he  arrived  at  the  station 
where  he  was  directed  to  stop,  he  found  that  the  place 
he  was  to  lecture  was  four  miles  distant.  He  was  soon 
driven  to  the  place,  however,  where  his  audience  was  in 
waiting.     On  beginning  his  lecture,  he  said :    "Ladies 


Traveler,  Lecturer,  Author  97 

and  Gentlemen :  I  am  here  at  last.  I  came  to  the  sta- 
tion over  yonder  by  express,  and  from  there  here  I  came 
by  telegraph."  He  thus  struck  the  humorous  side  of 
the  audience,  and  had  them  with  him  to  the  last.  In 
this  way,  by  some  clever  maneuver,  he  gained  the  at- 
tention of  his  hearers  when  he  delivered  a  missionary 
lecture  or  other  address,  thus  overcoming  all  restraint. 
The  ability  thus  to  bring  one's  audience  into  full  sym- 
pathy with  him  and  his  subject  is  one  of  the  necessary 
requisites  of  a  popular  platform  speaker,  which  he 
possessed  to  a  notable  degree. 

As  an  author  Dr.  Hott  holds  deserved  eminence. 
His  readiness  and  experience  as  an  editorial  writer 
were  of  great  value  to  him  in  making  the  important 
contributions  he  did  to  the  more  permanent  literature 
of  his  times.  Upon  his  return  from  his  first  visit  to 
foreign  lands  he  wrote  a  large  volume  entitled  "Jour- 
neyings  in  the  Old  World,"  which  met  with  popular 
favor,  passing  through  several  editions.  It  is  a  meri- 
torious work,  and  ranks  high  among  books  of  its  class. 

In  1886,  as  editor  of  the  Telescope-,  he  wrote  a  series 
of  articles  extending  through  several  months,  entitled 
"Talks  with  Young  Christians."  There  had  been  dur- 
ing the  previous  winter  extensive  revivals  in  the 
Church,  and  this  series  of  practical  papers  was  under- 
taken at  the  suggestion  of  the  present  writer.  There 
were  many  thousands  of  converts  needing  simple  and 
suggestive  directions  in  walking  in  the  new  life  upon 
which  they  had  entered,  and  there  was  no  one  better 
fitted  to  "talk"  to  them  sympathetically  and  helpfully 
than  one  who  always  carried  a  heart  in  passionate  love 
with  souls.  This  one  accepted  the  task,  and  from  the 
first  it  was  a  labor  of  love.  He  had  not  only  been  a  dili- 
gent worker  in  a  great  revival  that  winter,  in  which  he 
had  led  many  into  the  light  and  joys  of  personal  sal- 
vation, but  he  had  urged  the  importance  of  this  work 


98      Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Ilott 

on  the  whole  Church  in  the  earnest  and  burning  mes- 
sages that  went  out  weekly  from  his  pen. 

In  1892  this  series  of  talks  was  published  in  a  valua- 
ble book,  entitled,  "Sacred  Hours  with  Young  Chris- 
tians," with  a  very  cordial  introduction  by  Dr.  Theo- 
dore L.  Cuyler,  the  veteran  Brooklyn  pastor.  This  book 
is  an  exceedingly  helpful  companion  for  the  young  dis- 
ciple of  Christ. 

Dr.  Hott  also  wrote  for  "Christian  Doctrine,"  a  theo- 
logical work  edited  by  Bishop  Weaver,  the  chapter  on 
"The  Atonement."  In  this  the  necessity,  the  nature, 
and  the  extent  of  the  atonement  of  Christ  are  ably 
presented  with  special  reference  to  the  biblical  teach- 
ings on  the  subject. 

In  1888  a  large  volume  was  published  entitled,  "That 
Unknown  Country,  or  What  Living  Hen  Believe  Con- 
cerning Punishment  after  Death,"  to  which  Dr.  Hott 
contributed  a  chapter.  This  treatise  not  only  gives  his 
views  on  the  subject,  but  the  teaching  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church  as  well.  It  is  a  clear,  succinct  doc- 
trinal statement,  and  is  an  important  contribution  to 
the  notable  discussion  with  which  it  is  connected. 

The  introduction  to  the  "Life  of  Bishop  David  Ed- 
wards," by  Dr.  L.  Davis,  and  to  the  "Life  of  Bishop 
J.  J.  Glossbrenner,"  by  Prof.  A.  W.  Drury,  D.  D.,  was 
written  by  Dr.  Hott.  He  was  a  warm  personal  friend 
and  admirer  of  both  of  these  men,  so  long  in  the  episco- 
pal office,  and  his  tribute  to  their  character  and  distin- 
guished services  is  most  befitting — a  cordial,  grateful, 
and  affectionate  tribute  and  lasting  memorial. 

All  of  Mr.  Hott's  writings,  whether  for  the  periodi- 
cal literature  of  the  Church,  or  for  the  books  that  bear 
his  name,  are  characteristic  of  a  candid,  thoughtful 
mind  and  of  a  heart  deep  in  love  with  men  and  loyal  to 
God.  This  does  not  imply  that  they  were  faultless,  or 
that  they  are  not  open  to  just  criticism,  but  rather  that 
they  are  marked  by  intellectual  and  heart  sincerity,  a 


Traveler,  Lecturer,  Author  99 

quality  always  essential  to  popular  esteem  and  impres- 
siveness.  The  products  of  his  pen  must,  therefore,  have 
permanent  value,  not  only  in  the  archives  of  the 
Church,  but  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  grateful  thou- 
sands who  have  been  blessed  through  the  ministry  of 
printed  thought.  These  will  have  an  undying  interest 
in  what  he  has  written. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Bishop  and  Church  Leader. 

The  twentieth  General  Conference  met  in  York,  Pa., 
May  9,  1889.  Bishop  Glossbrenner  had  died  during 
the  quadrennium.  All  the  other  bishops  were  present. 
For  the  sixth  time  James  W.  Hott  was  a  delegate  from 
Virginia  Conference  to  this  quadrennial  gathering. 
His  colleagues  at  this  session  were  J.  W.  Howe,  C.  P. 
Dyche,  and  A.  P.  Funkhouser. 

This  was  the  first  General  Conference  after  the 
adoption  of  pro  rata  representation,  and  the  largest 
that  had  ever  assembled,  being  composed  of  124  mem- 
bers besides  the  six  bishops.  It  was  an  unusual  Con- 
ference, chiefly  because  it  was  charged  with  the  re- 
sponsibility of  acting  upon  the  work  of  the  Church 
Commission  appointed  four  years  before.  The  third 
day  of  the  Conference  this  work  came  up  for  consid- 
eration, and,  after  being  ably  and  earnestly  discussed, 
it  was  approved  by  the  decisive  vote  of  110  to  20. 

Immediately  following  this  action  I)r.  Hott  offered 
a  series  of  resolutions  expressive  of  feelings  of  good 
will  and  brotherly  love  toward  those  voting  in  the 
minority.  But  this  "olive  branch"  was  declined  by 
those  to  whom  it  referred,  and  no  action  was  taken  on 
the  paper. 

On  the  Monday  following,  May  13,  the  bishops  offi- 
cially proclaimed  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Consti- 
tution as  ratified  by  the  General  Conference,  to  be  the 
fundamental  belief  and  organic  law  of  the  Church  of 
the  United  Brethren  in  Christ. 

At  this  juncture  a  part  of  the  dissenting  minority 
100 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  101 

withdrew,  and,  going  to  a  public  hall,  they  organized 
another  general  conference  and  proceeded  to  transact 
business  as  if  they  were  the  representatives  of  the 
Church.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  withdrawal  of 
a  few  thousand  members  from  the  Church  and  the  or- 
ganization of  a  new  religious  body.  Though  claiming 
for  a  time  that  they  were  the  true  Church,  the  courts 
decided  otherwise,  and  they  were  compelled  to  relin- 
quish all  claim  to  the  property  of  the  Church. 

With  the  approval  of  the  work  of  the  Commission 
there  ended  a  long,  and  at  times,  acrimonious  struggle 
to  secure  changes  in  the  polity  of  the  Church,  which 
hitherto  had  been  prevented  by  certain  restrictive  con- 
stitutional enactments.  The  part  which  the  editor  of 
the  Religious  Telescope  had  in  bringing  about  this 
happy  consummation  was  by  no  means  insignificant. 
During  the  four  years  the  Commission  and  its  work 
were  before  the  Church  he  directed  the  policy  of  the 
paper,  true  to  the  Church,  with  great  skill  and  in  ad- 
mirable spirit.  The  quadrennium  brought  great 
changes  in  the  sentiment  of  the  Church,  both  in  the 
ministry  and  laity,  as  was  shown  in  the  popular  vote 
approving  the  work  of  the  Commission. 

Among  other  new  measures  that  received  the  ap- 
proval of  this  conference  were  those  relating  to  lay  rep- 
resentation in  the  General  Conference,  the  admission 
of  women  to  the  ministry  on  the  same  terms  as  men, 
and  the  founding  of  the  United  Brethren  Quarterly 
Review. 

It  was  at  the  hands  of  this  Conference  that  Dr.  Hott 
received  his  first  election  to  the  bishop's  office.  Previ- 
ous to  the  election  it  had  been  agreed  that  there  should 
be  four  bishops  elected  to  serve  the  districts  lying  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  that  a  missionary  bishop 
should  be  elected  for  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  to  reside 
within  the  district,  whose  duties,  in  addition  to  hold- 
ing the  coast  conferences,  should  include  missionary 


102    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

and  evangelistic  work.  On  the  first  ballot  Bishops 
Weaver,  Kephart,  Castle,  and  Dickson  were  reelected. 

After  the  first  ballot  had  been  taken  for  the  Coast 
bishop,  in  which  Mr.  Hott  received  a  very  compli- 
mentary vote,  he  arose  and  thanked  the  Conference  for 
the  confidence  and  appreciation  expressed  and  asked 
that  his  name  be  not  further  used  for  that  work.  There 
was  no  election  from  the  next  ballot,  and  the  morning 
session  adjourned.  In  the  afternoon,  when  a  third 
ballot  was  ordered,  Dr.  Hott,  addressing  the  presiding 
bishop,  said:  "I  wish  to  do  the  most  delicate  thing  of 
my  life.  I  want  to  do  it  in  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 
This  morning  our  brethren  urged  a  form  of  work  for 
me  which  I  could  not  consent  to  take.  After  the  second 
ballot  has  been  cast  by  the  brethren,  and  privately  the 
matter  has  been  urged  upon  my  attention,  I  wish  to 
recall  the  opposition  which  I  made  to  your  wishes.  If 
you  shall  make  such  thought  for  me  in  the  work  of  God. 
I  shall  then  consent  to  go.  I  should  be  glad,  however, 
if  you  would  find  another.  I  think  you  understand 
me.  I  pray  that  God  may  bless  you."  The  ballot  was 
then  taken,  and,  despite  the  strong  wish  expressed,  Dr. 
Hott  was  elected  by  a  splendid  vote.  As  he  took  his 
seat  on  the  platform,  at  the  invitation  of  Bishop 
Weaver,  he  was  greeted  with  earnest  applause. 

It  is  not  disclosing  any  secret  when  it  is  said  that 
Bishop  Hott  much  preferred  to  remain  in  the  editorial 
work.  He  had  no  aspirations  for  anything  higher  than 
that  field  afforded,  so  it  was  with  great  reluctance  that 
he  gave  his  consent  to  accept  another  office,  even  one  of 
higher  dignity  and  honor. 

There  were  good  reasons  for  this  reluctance.  His 
long  experience  as  an  editor  had  given  him  a  very  high 
appreciation  of  the  power  of  the  religious  press.  He 
well  knew  that  to  direct  the  Church's  thought  and 
broadening  life  and  activities  through  this  agency 
meant  far  more  than  to  be  a  bishop.    This  feeling  was 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  103 

not  due  to  a  mere  selfish  ambition  to  be  great,  but 
rather  to  his  deep  love  for  the  Church  and  his  desire  to 
be  of  the  greatest  possible  use  in  promoting  its  welfare. 
He  was  never  a  time-server,  and  could  not  be,  but  was 
a  diplomat  and  statesman  in  aggressive  churchcraft, 
always  abreast  of  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  a  ready 
and  capable  leader  in  advance  movements  in  Christian 
endeavor.  But  it  was  a  man  with  these  distinguishing 
qualities  that  was  likewise  demanded  by  the  Church 
for  its  episcopal  service. 

In  his  final  words  as  editor  of  our  Church  paper, 
after  reviewing  the  period  of  his  labors  in  that  ca- 
pacity, Dr.  Hott  evidences  deep  pain  of  heart  when  he 
says :  "The  writer  regrets  most  of  all  to  sever  his  rela- 
tions with  the  readers  of  the  Religious  Telescope.  He 
has  learned  to  regard  the  preachers  of  the  entire 
Church  as  his  truest  friends.  He  tried  to  gather  the 
wants  and  toils  and  trials  and  sorrows  and  bereave- 
ments of  the  readers  of  the  Telescope  to  his  own  heart, 
and  so  to  be  the  better  prepared  to  minister  to  their 
comfort  and  growth  in  the  Christian  life.  This  sepa- 
ration has  in  it  that  tenderness  which  a  pastor  feels 
when  he  parts  from  his  long-watched  and  much-loved 
flock.  May  others  lead  this  large  company  to  pastures 
of  tender  grass  and  waters  of  quietness.  We  shall 
meet  again  on  the  banks  of  the  river  of  life;  there  the 
flowers  always  bloom  and  the  summer  lasts  forever." 

To  use  the  language  of  our  Church  historian,  Dr. 
Berger,  "That  was  a  wise  choice  which  the  General 
Conference  made  when  it  added  Dr.  James  W.  Hott 
to  the  episcopal  board.  He  was  in  the  full  vigor  of 
early  middle  life,  being  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his 
age,  and  had  attained  the  ripe  maturity  of  a  strong  in- 
tellectual manhood.  He  possessed  the  advantages 
gained  through  a  broad  and  varied  experience  as 
preacher  and  editor,  and  by  extensive  travel  in  our  own 
and  foreign  countries.    To  this  he  added  a  fervent  de- 


104    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

"votion  to  the  Church  in  which  he  was  born,  and  to 
which  he  had  hitherto  given  his  life  in  unremitting 
service." 

Bishop  Hott  left  Dayton  June  3,  1889,  for  his  first 
visit  to  the  new  and  distant  diocese  to  which  he  had 
been  assigned.  In  an  account  of  his  westward  trip, 
entitled,  "Drifting  Toward  a  Distant  Sea,"  the  follow- 
ing is  the  opening  paragraph :  "The  moorings  are  cut 
loose.  The  anchor  is  lifted.  June  3,  1889,  the  frail 
bark  is  drifting  toward  a  distant  and  unknown  sea. 
Drifting!  what  a  word  this  is!  It  must,  in  this  case, 
mean,  carried  by  the  currents  of  providence  and  borne 
to  a  destiny  unknown." 

His  first  conference  was  at  Walla  Walla,  which  con- 
vened at  Oakesdale,  Washington,  June  12.  He  was 
given  a  very  cordial  reception,  his  preaching  and  coun- 
sel being  warmly  commended.  Writing  of  the  confer- 
ence, Bishop  Castle,  who  was  present,  says:  "Bishop 
Hott  in  his  first  visit  won  an  easy  captivity  of  the  af- 
fections of  this  body  of  devoted  ministers  and  people. 
He  came  with  the  gospel.  That  always  wins  in  this 
conference." 

At  this  conference  steps  were  taken  to  establish  a 
church  in  Spokane,  a  new  town  of  20,000  population, 
and  rapidly  growing.  The  bishop  gave  his  earnest  sup- 
port to  this  forward  movement,  and  later  visited 
Spokane,  where  he  found  a  "nucleus  for  a  fine  working 
church."  Thus  the  quadrennium  opened  with  this  new 
enterprise  well  launched,  a  forerunner  of  numerous 
other  like  undertakings  on  the  Coast. 

The  bishop's  next  conference  was  the  Oregon,  which 
met  at  Philomath,  July  11.  There  he  had  a  new  and 
trying  experience.  He  found  that  the  majority  of  the 
preachers  had  gone  off  with  the  schism  at  the  General 
Conference,  and  were  claiming  the  church  property  in 
that  State.  They  did  not  recognize  him  as  the  bishop, 
and  were  determined  that  he  should  not  preside.    The 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  L05 

conference  was  to  be  held  in  the  chapel  of  Philomath 
College,  the  regular  place  of  church  worship  in  that 
place.  The  evening  before  the  time  set  for  the  opening 
session  the  bishop  received  a  notice  forbidding  him  the 
use  of  the  chapel.  When  he  arrived  the  next  day  he 
found  the  door  closed  and  guarded.  As  he  was  about 
to  put  his  hand  on  the  door-knob,  one  of  the  guards 
said,  "You  cannot  enter  here;  this  door  is  locked." 
Bishop  Castle,  whose  home  was  then  in  Philomath,  and 
who  was  a  witness  to  this  episode,  says:  "Then  you 
ought  to  have  seen  a  little  Virginian,  with  all  the  state- 
liness  of  sterling  manhood  and  the  magistrature  of  a 
bishop,  'ride  the  whirlwind  and  direct  the  storm.' 
'Brother,  I  've  come  here  to  hold  a  conference,  and  I 
want  you  to  stand  from  this  door !  You  have  no  right 
here.  The  notice  you  served  on  me  is  of  no  force;  it  is 
not  legal;  it  will  not  stand  the  test  in  any  court  in 
this  country.  I  have  rights  in  this  country,  and  I  am 
going  to  maintain  them.  I  am  going  to  hold  a  confer- 
ence in  this  house.  You  are  here  without  any  author- 
ity, and  you  will  regret  the  day  of  this  assumption  of 
power!  Do  you  know  what  you  are  doing?  I  have 
legal  advice  in  the  matter  from  a  reliable  counsel  in 
your  own  State.' " 

Later  the  guards,  when  threatened  with  arrest,  shmk 
away,  and  when  leaving  said,  "If  you  go  in,  you  do  it 
at  your  own  peril."  "The  bishop,  responding  to  this," 
says  Bishop  Castle,  "said,  'Come  on,  we  '11  assume  all 
responsibilities,'  and  thus  led  the  way  into  the  college 
chapel,  where  the  conference  was  organized,  and  unin- 
terruptedly conducted  its  business  to  a  close." 

The  conference  as  organized  was  made  up  only  of 
ministers  loyal  to  the  bishop  and  the  Church.  They 
passed  strong  resolutions  of  gratitude  to  the  General 
Conference  for  sending  to  them  in  their  time  of  trial 
Bishop  J.  W.  Hott.  His  welcome  was  earnest  and  af- 
fectionate. 


106    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  ITott 

Following  this  conference  the  bishop  wrote  for  the 
Telescope:  "The  work  in  Oregon  is  fairly  started. 
The  question  as  to  whether  we  are  to  have  a  Church 
and  conference  here  is  settled.  The  element  of  re- 
sistance and  ceaseless  warring  has  gone  from  us.  We 
can  build  in  the  future  if  we  will,  and  God  be  with  us 
to  send  salvation  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  bless 
his  preached  word.  Five  persons  united  with  the 
Church  last  Sabbath  night.  God  was  with  us  all  the 
time." 

This  seems  like  strange  language  when  it  is  known 
that  this  was  the  thirty-sixth  session  of  Oregon  Confer- 
ence ;  but  the  radicals  were  strong  here,  and  they  stub- 
bornly resisted  the  authority  of  the  General  Conference. 
A  long  contest  in  the  civil  courts  followed  to  quiet  the 
title  of  the  property  of  the  Church  in  that  State,  of 
which  there  will  be  further  reference  later. 

Bishop  Hott  now  returned  to  Dayton  to  arrange  for 
the  removal  of  his  family  to  Woodbridge,  California, 
the  place  he  had  chosen  for  his  episcopal  residence  for 
the  ensuing  four  years.  The  Telescope,  speaking  of 
his  return  from  the  Coast,  said,  "His  courage  and  tact 
in  managing  the  affairs  of  the  Church  in  Washington 
Territory  and  Oregon  have  been  highly  commendable, 
and  have  served  to  assure  the  Church  that  he  is  the 
man  to  take  the  superintendency  of  our  important 
church  interests  on  the  Coast." 

The  next  week  the  Telescope  contained  this  personal 
note:  "Bishop  Hott  occupied  the  pulpit  of  our  Sum- 
mit Street  Church,  this  city,  last  Sabbath  morning, 
preaching  an  excellent  and  appropriate  sermon  from 
the  text,  'Here  we  have  no  continuing  city,  but  we  seek 
one  to  come.'  The  bishop  had  been  a  member  of  this 
congregation,  with  his  family,  the  past  sixteen  years; 
and  as  he  was  soon  to  remove  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  the 
sermon  partook  of  the  nature  of  a  farewell  address  to 
those  with  whom  he  had  been  so  many  years  associated 


ilSHOP  AND  MRS.    HOTT    IN    CALIFORNIA -IN    1890. 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  107 

as  a  neighbor  and  church-worker.  He  was  greeted  with 
a  magnificent  audience." 

Two  weeks  later  the  bishop  preached  on  Sunday 
morning  for  the  First  Church  congregation,  and  in  the 
afternoon  addressed  a  men's  meeting  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
hall.  These  meetings  were  largely  attended,  and  were 
accompanied  with  earnest  expressions  of  esteem  and 
good  will. 

The  bishop  and  his  family  were  tendered  a  farewell 
reception  at  Summit  Street  Church  on  the  Monday 
evening  prior  to  their  departure.  Fitting  addresses 
were  made  by  Dr.  W.  J.  Shuey,  Bishop  Weaver,  Dr.  G. 
A.  Funkhouser,  and  others,  to  which  the  bishop  made 
a  happy  and  impressive  response.  Mrs.  Hott  received 
a  fine  silver  plate  and  the  bishop  a  beautiful  gold- 
headed  cane,  gifts  from  their  Sunday-school  classes. 
These  testimonials  were  the  grateful  expression  of  love 
from  those  who  had  long  enjoyed  their  faithful  services 
as  teachers. 

With  this  warm-hearted  good-by  in  Dayton,  the  long 
journey  to  Woodbridge,  California,  was  taken,  where 
they  found  a  royal  greeting  and  welcome  awaiting 
them.  Woodbridge  is  a  beautiful  village,  thirty-five 
miles  south  of  Sacramento,  and  was  at  that  time  the 
seat  of  San  Joaquin  Valley  College,  a  school  of  the 
Church.  There  the  bishop  and  family  found  a  delight- 
ful home  amid  congenial  surroundings  and  associa- 
tions. 

Soon  after  reaching  his  new  home  the  bishop  was  un- 
expectedly summoned  to  Oregon  to  look  after  the 
Church  litigation  pending  there.  The  trip  of  seven 
hundred  miles,  made  by  rail  over  the  famous  "Shasta 
Route,"  was  quite  in  contrast  with  making  the  journey 
by  stage,  as  Bishop  Weaver  and  others  had  done  in 
visiting  our  work  on  the  Coast  some  years  before. 

The  litigation  in  Oregon  was  forced  on  the  Church 
by  those  who  had  withdrawn  from  it;  but  under  the 


108    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

wise  and'  tactful  leadership  favorable  decisions  were  at 
last  reached.  The  courts  were  slow  in  coming  to  a  per- 
fect understanding  of  the  case,  and  early  decisions  were 
adverse  to  the  Church,  but  finally  in  the  court  of  high- 
est resort  a  decision  was  handed  down  fully  vindicat- 
ing all  the  claims  of  the  Church  as  to  its  identity  and 
property  rights. 

California  Conference  met  in  Sacramento,  October 
9.  The  session  was  harmonious  and  attended  with  an 
excellent  devotional  spirit.  This  conference  lost  only 
a  few  members  by  the  radical  withdrawal,  and  they 
were  nearly  all  local  and  superannuated  preachers. 
Bishop  Hott  was  accorded  the  warmest  possible  wel- 
come, and  the  conference  found  in  him  a  brother  in- 
deed, who  entered  into  their  life  and  work  with  a  zeal 
and  heartiness  which  made  his  presence  an  inspiration 
and  benediction.  He  was  delighted  to  meet  there  the 
Rev.  D.  Shuck,  formerly  a  bishop  in  the  Church,  and 
who  organized  the  conference  twenty-five  years  before, 
and  the  Revs.  T.  J.  Bauder  and  J.  L.  Field,  also  vet- 
erans there.  The  Rev.  W.  C.  Day,  D.  D.,  a  former 
pastor  of  the  bishop,  was  the  secretary  of  the  confer- 
ence. The  city  press  gave  the  conference  cordial  rec- 
ognition, and  the  bishop's  preaching  was  spoken  of  in 
terms  of  highest  appreciation. 

The  three  conferences  now  mentioned  comprised  the 
entire  district  over  which  Bishop  Hott  had  the  super- 
intendence. The  holding  of  the  annual  sessions  of 
these  bodies  was  really  a  small  part  of  his  work.  "The 
care  of  all  the  churches,"  in  the  midst  of  the  trying 
conditions  in  the  Church  life,  the  opening  of  new  mis- 
sions in  promising  centers,  aiding  pastors  in  evangelis- 
tic work,  and  the  dedication  of  churches,  involved  ar- 
duous and  continued  toil.  He  saw  the  field  to  be  large 
and  urgent,  and  he  deeply  felt  that  the  Church  had  a 
commission  to  occupy  it.  To  this  end  his  splendid 
powers  of  brain  and  soul  were  unstintedly  devoted. 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  109 

In  giving  a  report  of  the  district  for  the  year,  the 
bishop  said :  "Our  work  on  this  coast  is  scattered  over 
a  vast  territory,  and  this,  with  many  other  things,  ren- 
ders it  difficult  to  supply  and  organize  it  well.  The 
field  is  a  difficult,  needy,  and  yet  a  hopeful  one.  There 
is  no  part  of  our  great  country  where  the  conditions  of 
the  present  and  the  promises  of  the  future  demand  so 
much  and  so  earnestly  of  the  Church.  The  founda- 
tions of  what  might  well  be  called  an  empire  are  now 
being  laid  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains."  And  this 
he  makes  the  occasion  of  an  earnest  appeal  for  the 
hearty  support  of  the  work  on  the  Coast  by  the  entire 
denomination. 

During  the  following  winter  Bishop  Hott  visited  the 
churches  in  southern  California.  He  spent  two  weeks 
with  the  Rev.  M.  S.  Bovey  at  Riverside  in  fruitful  re- 
vival work.  Seventeen  were  hopefully  converted,  and 
the  church  was  much  strengthened  in  its  life.  He  did 
a  like  work  at  other  points,  much  to  the  encourage- 
ment of  pastors  and  people.  "What  a  welcome  they 
gave  me,  all  for  the  Master's  sake,"  was  one  of  the 
bishop's  earnest  expressions  as  he  afterwards  told  of 
how  he  was  received  by  the  churches. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1890,  a  general  Young  People's 
Convention  having  been  called  to  meet  in  Dayton, 
Ohio,  June  4  and  5,  Bishop  Hott  wrote  the  committee 
issuing  the  call:  "We  must  keep  our  young  people 
churchly  in  their  organization.  We  are  shut  up  to  it 
by  the  law  of  self-preservation.  I  presume  the  way  to 
do  is  to  organize  as  you  propose  to  do,  and  that  with  a 
view  of  carrying  the  matter  to  the  annual  conferences. 
I  do  believe  the  organization  of  our  young  people  in 
all  the  churches  of  our  Zion  would  be  a  great  stimulus 
to  the  Church  and  Christian  work." 

This  convention  was  held,  the  Young  People's  Chris- 
tian Union  was  organized,  and  a  unique  plan  was 
adopted   for   the    denominational   control   of   all   the 


110    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Jlott 

young  people's  societies  of  the  Church.  Being  in  deep 
sympathy  with  the  young,  this  movement  at  once  en- 
listed the  bishop's  most  sympathetic  cooperation. 

In  June  Bishop  Hott  started  on  a  new  round  of  his 
conferences.  His  first  was  the  Oregon,  held  at  Philo- 
math, beginning  June  11.  Here  he  received  the  sad 
news  of  the  death  of  a  cherished  brother,  the  Rev.  C.  M. 
Hott,  the  new  pastor  at  Woodbridge.  This  brother 
had  gone  to  the  Coast  from  Boonsboro,  Maryland, 
where  he  had  lived  eight  years,  two  as  presiding  elder 
and  six  as  a  faithful  and  loved  pastor,  the  December 
previous,  at  the  solicitation  of  the  bishop,  that  he  might 
help  in  the  great  work  of  that  needy  field.  He  was 
just  beginning  what  promised  to  be  a  pastorate  of  un- 
usual vigor  and  fruitfulness,  when  suddenly  he  was 
cut  down.  He  died  June  15.  The  sorrow  which  this 
event  occasioned  his  brother  was  unspeakable,  and  be- 
sides, a  wide  circle  of  friends  was  stirred,  for  the  de- 
ceased was  a  man  of  noble  character,  an  able  preacher, 
and  had  been  in  the  ministry  for  twenty-two  years. 

Because  of  this  sorrowful  visitation  the  bishop  was 
not  able  to  attend  Walla  Walla  conference  that  year, 
and  the  Rev.  W.  S.  Gilbert,  then  president  of  Philo- 
math College,  was  asked  to  do  that  work,  which  he 
did  with  great  acceptability. 

That  summer  Bishop  Hott  attended  the  California 
State  Sunday- School  Convention,  and  was  a  favorite 
speaker  on  the  program.  Dr.  E.  S.  Chapman,  in  writ- 
ing the  Telescope  of  his  work,  says:  "We  piled  the 
work  upon  him  in  preparing  the  program,  and  the 
more  we  gave  him  to  do  the  better  he  did  it.  The  many 
puns  played  on  his  suggestive  name  were  soon  for- 
gotten in  the  intensity  of  the  enthusiasm  and  interest 
which  he  kindled  in  the  hearts  of  all  who  were  present. 
He  made  an  impression  on  the  Christian  workers  of 
the  State  which  has  been  and  will  continue  to  be  help- 
ful to  the  Church  which  he  represents  on  our  Coast." 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  111 

The  San  Francisco  Christian  Advocate,  speaking  of 
the  bishop's  addresses  on  "Modern  Customs  in  Bible 
Lands,"  said:  "He  showed  how  much  illumination 
many  of  the  words  of  Scripture  receive  by  the  study 
of  the  customs  which  prevail  to-day  in  those  lands.  Dr. 
Hott  is  a  true  brother  in  Christ,  and  his  presence  was 
very  much  enjoyed  by  the  convention." 

The  bishop  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the  Woodbridge 
church  three  months,  completing  the  conference  year 
of  his  brother.  During  this  time  he  had  the  joy  of 
welcoming  to  the  fellowship  of  the  Church  sixteen  new 
members. 

The  California  Conference  was  held  at  Selma,  con- 
vening October  8.  The  next  week  the  bishop  went  to 
Oregon.  After  spending  a  few  days  in  Philomath  in 
special  meetings,  attended  with  marked  spiritual  re- 
sults, he  visited  and  preached  in  other  parts  of  the 
State  and  in  Washington,  dedicated  the  new  church 
in  Spokane,  November  9,  a  beautiful  house  of  worship, 
which,  with  the  parsonage,  cost  $6,600.  The  success 
of  this  enterprise  was  realized  under  the  leadership  of 
the  Eev.  C.  C.  Bell,  who  had  been  the  pastor  there  from 
the  beginning.  Writing  of  this  event,  the  bishop  said : 
"This  we  count  one  of  the  grandest  achievements  of 
our  Church  anywhere."  The  children  of  the  Church, 
through  the  letter-box  of  the  Telescope,  contributed 
over  $700  to  the  funds  for  this  praiseworthy  mission 
enterprise. 

In  his  second  annual  report  of  his  district,  in  Febru- 
ary, 1891,  Bishop  Hott,  after  referring  to  the  feeling 
of  depression  caused  by  the  division  in  the  Church  on 
the  Coast,  said:  "The  struggle  is  not  ended,  but  we 
have  passed  the  most  trying  ordeal  and  are  better  or- 
ganized for  aggressive  work  for  Christ  and  humanity 
than  before.  The  promise  for  the  future  is  for  the 
most  part  encouraging." 

On  the  7th  of  February  the  bishop  turned  his  steps 


112    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

toward  southern  California  again.  At  Selma  he 
stopped  and  preached  eight  days  in  special  meetings. 
One  of  the  converts  was  a  grandson  of  the  bishop's  first 
Sunday-school  teacher.  This,  and  like  incidents  were 
to  him  sources  of  joy  and  inspiration.  While  on  this 
trip  he  was  again  summoned  to  Oregon  to  testify  in 
the  Church  case  having  a  hearing  there.  A  few  days 
later  he  was  called  back  to  Woodbridge  by  a  telegram 
announcing  the  serious  illness  of  Dr.  J.  J.  Eiley,  the 
physician  who  had  given  him  such  skillful  and  patient 
care  after  his  accident  in  the  Yosemite  Valley,  four 
years  before.  He  was  able  to  reach  Woodbridge  just 
in  time  to  officiate  at  the  funeral  of  his  devoted  friend. 

These  movements  of  the  bishop  show  how  very  ac- 
tive his  life  was  during  his  term  of  church  service  on 
the  Coast.  The  long  distances  which  he  had  to  travel 
but  added  to  his  laborious  duties. 

As  the  first  anniversary  of  the  Young  People's  Chris- 
tian Union  drew  near,  the  officers  of  the  organization 
felt  it  would  be  wise  to  open  a  home  mission  some- 
where to  be  supported  by  the  young  people  of  the 
Church.  After  consultation  with  Bishop  Hott  it  was 
decided  to  observe  May  31,  1891,  as  Young  People's 
Day  in  the  Church,  and  that  offerings  be  taken  on  that 
day  for  a  new  mission  church  to  be  planted  in  Los 
Angeles,  California.  Learning  of  this  action,  the 
bishop  wrote:  "I  am  rejoiced  to  see  you  open  up  for 
Los  Angeles.  God  is  in  that  plan,  I  am  sure.  How 
often  I  have  prayed  for  some  such  opening  there.  The 
Young  People's  Christian  Union  will  put  a  star  of  the 
first  magnitude  in  its  constellation  of  many  stars  by 
this  opening  up  of  the  work  in  that  beautiful  city  of 
southern  California." 

This  movement  for  a  church  there  was  wisely  guided 
by  the  bishop  through  several  interesting  stages — first 
the  purchase  of  a  lot  on  the  corner  of  Pico  and  Hope 
streets  for  $2,750,  then  the  building  of  a  chapel  cost- 


Bishop  and  Church  leader  113 

ing  $1,000,  and  later  a  beautiful  modern  church  at  a 
cost  of  $10,000. 

Bishop  Hott  that  year  attended  the  annual  meetings 
of  the  several  Church  boards  held  in  May,  in  Dayton, 
Ohio.  Here  he  received  a  very  warm  greeting  after 
two  years'  absence  and  work  on  the  coast.  The  Mis- 
sionary Board  approved  the  work  undertaken  in  Los 
Angeles,  and  appointed  the  Rev.  E.  A.  Starkey  to  be 
the  first  pastor  and  missionary  in  that  city,  and  it  was 
he  who  laid  the  foundations  there  for  the  present  flour- 
ishing church,  though  the  church-house  was  built  un- 
der the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  J.  S.  Pitman. 

Returning  to  the  Coast  soon  after  the  May  anniver- 
saries, Bishop  Hott  resumed  his  work  with  renewed 
zeal  and  hopefulness.  For  two  years  more  his  toils  for 
the  Church  and  the  cause  of  Christ  were  abundant  and 
fruitful.  He  preached,  lectured,  and  traveled  almost 
constantly.  According  to  the  record  of  his  work  which 
he  kept,  he  preached  seventy-six  times  for  the  church 
in  Woodbridge  during  his  four  years'  residence  there. 
He  so  delighted  to  preach  the  gospel  that  he  rarely  ever 
declined  an  invitation  to  do  so. 

Under  his  aggressive  supervision  and  untiring  la- 
bors the  Church  on  his  district  had  great  prosperity. 
He  had  been  able  to  enlist  a  number  of  strong  men 
from  the  East  to  join  in  the  work  there.  Among  these 
were  the  Rev.  W.  S.  Gilbert,  who  became  president  of 
the  college  at  Philomath,  Oregon,  in  1889,  and  the 
Rev.  J.  G.  Huber,  who  became  president  of  San  Joaquin 
Valley  College,  at  Woodbridge,  California,  in  1891, 
both  from  Miami  Conference.  The  latter  succeeded 
the  Rev.  D.  A.  Mobley,  who  had  for  years  been  at  the 
head  of  the  educational  work  of  the  Church  in  that 
State. 

New  churches  were  established  at  Spokane,  Wash- 
ington ;  Julieta,  Idaho ;  Hood  River,  Eugene,  and  Port- 
land, Oregon;  and  in  Los  Angeles  and  other  places  in 
s 


114   Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

California.  To  all  these  enterprises  the  bishop  gave 
the  heartiest  personal  support. 

In  the  spring  of  1892  Dr.  W.  J.  Shuey,  the  Publish- 
ing Agent  at  Dayton,  paid  a  visit  to  the  Coast,  and  at- 
tended the  Walla  Walla  and  Oregon  conferences,  giv- 
ing great  encouragement  to  the  bishop  and  the  work 
there.  He  also  visited  the  bishop  at  his  home  at  Wood- 
bridge,  and  there  preached  the  baccalaureate  at  the 
commencement  of  the  college.  While  there  the  home 
of  the  bishop  was  the  scene  of  an  event  of  very  delight- 
ful interest.  It  was  the  marriage  of  the  bishop's  two 
daughters,  June  2,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by 
himself,  assisted  by  Dr.  Shuey.  Lou  Ella  was  married 
to  Professor  J.  H.  Francis,  and  Mattie  to  President 
J.  G.  Huber,  both  members  of  the  faculty  of  the  col- 
lege. 

There  are  many  incidents  of  the  work  during  the 
two  following  years,  of  the  bishop's  preaching  for  our 
own  and  other  churches,  of  his  lecturing,  and  writing 
extensively  for  the  Church  papers,  etc.,  which  would 
have  interest,  but  space  is  wanting.  We  have  now  had 
a  somewhat  comprehensive  view  of  Bishop  Hott's  work 
during  his  first  term  in  the  episcopal  office,  and  we  must 
now  turn  to  other  scenes  and  labors. 

The  twenty-first  General  Conference  convened  in 
Dayton,  Ohio,  May  11,  1893.  The  bishops,  Weaver, 
Dickson,  Castle,  Kephart,  and  Hott  were  all  present. 
The  past  quadrennial  term  had  witnessed  the  signal 
triumph  of  the  Church  in  the  litigation  resulting:  from 
the  division  caused  four  years  before,  and  the  Confer- 
ence gathered  under  very  assuring  and  hopeful 
auspices.  Laymen,  among  whom  were  two  women 
delegates,  had  seats  in  this  body  for  the  first  time.  The 
bishops'  address,  which  was  read  by  Bishop  Hott.  and 
had  been  prepared  by  him,  was  a  very  comprehensive 
and  able  church  paper,  some  of  its  ringing  utterances 
calling  forth  enthusiastic  applause.    Its  key-note  was 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  115 

"aggressiveness."  Keferring  to  the  address  in  his  re- 
sponse to  the  address  of  welcome  to  the  conference, 
President  Beardshear  called  it  the  "grandest  address 
which  the  noble  bishops  of  this  Church  ever  gave  to  us 
in  our  history" 

Among  the  closing  paragraphs  of  the  address,  under 
the  heading,  "A  Word  of  Counsel,"  is  this  strikingly 
clear  analysis  of  the  Church's  chief  mission:  "In  our 
work  of  evangelization  three  great  interests  demand 
supreme  consideration.  Three  demands  rise  colossus- 
like before  you.  The  first  is  for  a  trained,  thoroughly 
equipped,  consecrated  ministry;  the  second  is  for  a 
missionary  treasury  filled  with  the  Lord's  money,  for 
use  in  the  Lord's  cause ;  the  third  is  a  strong  Church- 
Erection  Society,  mightily  equipped  for  aiding  in 
building  churches  in  our  great,  growing,  and  wicked 
towns  and  cities.  These  are  the  trinity  of  our  Church's 
needs.  Give  us  these  and  the  Church  will  dig  out  the 
very  foundation  and  corner-stone  of  the  kingdom  of 
darkness." 

The  bishop's  commanding  skill  and  foresight  as  a 
church  leader  were  never  more  markedly  conspicuous 
than  in  this  now  historic  paper. 

On  the  eighth  day  of  its  session  the  General  Confer- 
ence elected  the  bishops  for  the  coming  four  years, 
choosing  Jonathan  Weaver  (bishop  emeritus),  N.  Cas- 
tle, E.  B.  Kephart,  J.  W.  Hott,  and  G.  A.  Funkhouser. 
Dr.  Eunkhouser  declining  the  office  later  in  the  session, 
J.  S.  Mills,  of  Iowa  Conference,  was  elected  in  his 
place. 

The  General  Conference  adopted  the  rotary  plan  for 
attending  the  conferences  by  the  bishops,  but  decided 
that  they  should  arrange  to  reside  as  follows:  one 
bishop  east  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  one  between 
the  Allegheny  Mountains  and  the  Mississippi  Kiver, 
one  between  the  Mississippi  Eiver  and  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  one  on  the  Pacific  Coast.    In  harmony 


116    Life  and  Career  of  Ja))ies  William  Hott 

with  this  action  the  episcopal  residences  for  the  quad- 
rennium  were  as  follows:  Bishop  Kephart,  Baltimore, 
Maryland;  Bishop  Castle,  Elkhart,  Indiana;  Bishop 
Hott,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa;  Bishop  Mills,  Eugene,  Ore- 
gon. Bishop  Weaver,  now  holding  an  emeritus  rela- 
tion because  of  his  age  and  feebleness,  continued  to 
reside  in  Dayton,  Ohio. 

In  the  autumn  of  1893  Bishop  Hott  held  the  follow- 
ing conferences :  Lower  Wabash,  Central  Illinois, 
Illinois,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Northwest  Kansas,  Neosho, 
and  Des  Moines,  and  in  the  spring  of  1894  he  presided 
at  the  Southern  Missouri,  Arkansas  Valley,  Southwest 
Kansas,  and  East  Nebraska.  The  same  purposeful 
earnestness  that  had  distinguished  him  in  his  Coast 
work  was  now  displayed  in  his  new  field.  He  was  every- 
where warmly  received,  and  his  fresh,  versatile  preach- 
ing, plain  and  practical  addresses  to  licentiates,  and 
his  wakeful  leadership,  won  for  him  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  ministers  and  people. 

The  semiannual  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Bishops 
was  held  in  Johnstown,  Pa.,  November  28,  1893.  At 
this  time  Bishop  Hott  was  asked  to  visit  the  missions 
and  churches  in  Africa  and  Germany  in  the  fall  of 
1894,  and  the  conference  calendar  for  the  next  year 
was  arranged  accordingly. 

In  connection  with  this  meeting  the  bishops  called  a 
"Church  Council,"  to  consider  ways  and  means  for  the 
successful  carrying  forward  of  the  work  of  the  Church 
especially  planned  for  by  the  last  General  Conference. 
To  this  council  were  invited  the  general  officers  of  the 
Church,  the  leading  educators,  and  others  interested  in 
the  progress  of  the  denomination,  ministers  and  lay- 
men. This  meeting,  though  not  large,  was  quite  rep- 
resentative. Many  questions  came  up  for  considera- 
tion, but  that  which  received  chief  emphasis  was  the 
educational  work.  It  was  resolved  to  encourage  efforts 
to  relieve  our  institutions  of  learning,  the  Seminary 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  117 

and  colleges,  from  their  burdensome  debts,  during  the 
quadrennium.  The  bishops  were  asked  to  prepare  an 
address  to  the  Church  to  this  end,  which  they  did. 

In  keeping  with  the  recommendation  of  the  Johns- 
town meeting,  several  of  the  colleges  called  councils  to 
consider  their  interests.  Bishop  Hott  was  present  at 
meetings  of  this  character  where  aggressive  measures 
were  adopted  for  the  relief  of  Lane  University,  and 
Western  and  York  colleges,  institutions  on  his  district. 
A  similar  meeting  at  Otterbein  University,  presided 
over  by  Bishop  Castle,  resulted  within  a  few  months 
in  raising  $86,000,  which  gave  that  institution  substan- 
tial relief. 

After  holding  his  conferences  in  the  spring  of  1894, 
Bishop  Hott  visited  the  churches  in  Texas,  preaching 
and  encouraging  the  struggling  workers  there. 

He  with  all  the  other  bishops  of  the  Church  attended 
the  commencement  of  Union  Biblical  Seminary  early 
in  May,  and  later  in  the  month  the  meetings  of  the 
Missionary  and  Church-Erection  boards  in  Fostoria, 
Ohio,  giving  vigilant  attention  to  the  interests  repre- 
sented by  these  institutions. 

Beginning  June  8,  Bishop  Hott  conducted  a  summer 
school  of  divinity  of  four  weeks  at  Lecompton,  Kansas. 
This  was  attended  by  ministers  of  Kansas  and  Mis- 
souri, and  was  designed  especially  to  be  helpful  to 
young  men  pursuing  the  course  of  study  in  the  con- 
ferences. The  school  was  attended  with  very  gratify- 
ing interest  and  results.  Each  summer  during  the 
quadrennium  a  like  school  was  held,  the  bishop's  teach- 
ing, lectures,  and  preaching  giving  great  satisfaction. 
In  this  kind  of  work  he  was  ready  and  practical,  and 
never  failed  to  be  a  favorite  leader. 

Beginning  with  the  Tennessee,  August  23,  Bishop 
Hott  held  conferences  as  follows:  Erie,  East  Ohio, 
Parkersburg,  Allegheny,  East  German,  East  Pennsyl- 
vania.    At  the  latter  conference  he  received  a  hand- 


118    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

somely  mounted  cane,  made  of  wood  from  the  floor  of 
the  historic  Isaac  Long  Barn,  of  near  Lancaster,  Pa., 
in  which  Otterbein  and  Boehm  first  met  in  a  great 
meeting,  and  where  Otterbein,  after  hearing  Boehm 
preach,  embraced  him,  saying,  "We  are  brethren."  The 
cane  was  the  gift  of  Mr.  D.  D.  Good,  a  warm  personal 
friend  of  the  bishop.  The  memento  was  much  ap- 
preciated because  of  its  historic  associations. 

Tuesday  evening,  November  13,  a  very  impressive 
meeting  was  held  in  the  college  chapel,  at  Westerville, 
Ohio,  when  five  missionaries,  the  Rev.  J.  R.  King  and 
wife,  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Howard  and  wife,  and  Miss  Minnie 
Eaton,  were  formally  consecrated  to  the  work  in  Africa. 
The  address  of  the  occasion  was  delivered  by  Bishop 
Hott,  who  was  to  accompany  these  new  recruits  to 
their  chosen  field,  from  Acts  13 :  2,  3.  In  the  Tele- 
scope's report  of  his  effort  it  was  said,  "He  was  at  his 
best,  and  held  the  audience  spellbound  for  three-quar- 
ters of  an  hour."  President  T.  J.  Sanders,  Dr.  W.  M. 
Bell,  Dr.  G.  A.  Funkhouser,  and  Mrs.  L.  K.  Miller  par- 
ticipated in  the  touching  ceremonies. 

Wednesday,  November  28,  Bishop  Hott  and  wife,  the 
five  missionaries  named  above,  and  Miss  Florence  M. 
Cronise,  who  had  been  previously  set  apart  in  conse- 
cration for  African  mission  service,  sailed  from  New 
York.  After  a  safe  voyage  of  eight  days  the  party 
landed  at  Liverpool.  From  there,  writing  of  the  voy- 
age, the  bishop  said :  "Most  of  the  company  have  been 
miserably  sick.  The  ladies  and  myself  have  fared  the 
worst.  Mrs.  King  soon  got  over  it,  and  has  done  well. 
Mrs.  Howard,  Miss  Cronise,  and  Miss  Eaton  have  been 
sick  most  all  the  time.  Brother  King  was  ill  for  a  day 
or  two,  and  since  has  been  courageous,  while  Mr.  How- 
ard has  not  missed  a  meal,  I  am  told.  I  have  been 
abed  and  from  meals  about  half  the  time.  Sympathy 
devoted  to  Mrs.  Hott  has  been  worse  than  wasted,  for 
she  has  not  missed  a  meal,  and  has,  indeed,  thus  far, 


Itishop  and  Church  -Leader  119 

proved  the  best  sailor  of  the  company.  God  has  been 
good  to  us,  and  our  hearts  cry  out  always  to  him  from 
the  solitude  and  wonder  of  the  mighty  waters." 

After  a  day  spent  in  Liverpool,  passage  was  taken  on 
the  steamer  Cabenda  for  Freetown,  where  all  arrived 
in  good  health,  Saturday  night,  December  22,  on  the 
twenty-fifth  day  out  from  New  York.  The  next  day 
they  were  met  on  their  vessel  by  missionaries  L.  O. 
Burtner  and  wife,  I.  N.  Cain,  Mrs.  West,  Dr.  Hatfield, 
and  the  Misses  Thomas  and  Schenck.  This  was  a 
happy  meeting  to  all. 

Writing  the  next  day  in  a  private  letter  to  the  editor 
of  the  Telescope,  the  bishop  said:  "My  heart  is  filled 
with  many  emotions,  and  my  mind  with  many  thoughts 
I  cannot  express.  It  opens  to  one's  view  another  world, 
to  come  here." 

Two  small  boats,  rowed  by  native  boatmen,  carried 
the  missionaries,  new  and  old,  to  their  desired  destina- 
tion; the  bishop  and  wife  and  those  in  the  employ  of 
the  Parent  Board,  to  Shengeh,  and  those  of  the 
Woman's  Board,  to  Rotifunk. 

The  first  Sunday  in  Shengeh  Bishop  Hott  preached 
in  Flickinger  Chapel,  from  Rom.  1 :  11,  "For  I  long  to 
see  you,  that  I  may  impart  unto  you  some  spiritual 
gift,  to  the  end  that  ye  may  be  established."  About 
one  hundred  and  fifty  people  were  present,  and  the 
place  and  the  new  and  strange  relations  all  united  to 
make  the  occasion  deeply  impressive  to  every  one.  In 
the  evening  a  reception  was  given  the  bishop  and  the 
missionaries.  Several  welcome  addresses  were  made 
by  natives,  and  one  on  behalf  of  the  missionaries,  by 
Mr.  Burtner.  The  hearty  greetings  were  happily  re- 
sponded to  by  the  bishop  and  others.  This  reception 
was  in  itself  a  splendid  tribute  to  the  character  and 
fruits  of  the  missionary  work  done  at  this  station. 

The  next  Wednesday  a  tour  of  visitation  of  the  sev- 
eral mission  stations  occupied  by  the  Church  was  be- 


120    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

gun  by  the  bishop,  accompanied  by  Messrs.  Burtner, 
Howard,  and  King.  At  Danville  they  were  the  guests 
of  the  Rev.  D.  F.  Wilberforce,  who  was  educated  in 
Dayton,  and  well  known  to  the  bishop,  a  man  of  great 
influence  in  that  country.  Mr.  Wilberforce  and  wife 
gave  them  royal  entertainment  after  the  "American 
fashion."  At  Bonthe  the  station  was  in  charge  of  the 
Rev.  J.  A.  Evans,  also  an  old  friend  of  the  bishop  and 
a  member  of  Virginia  Conference.  Mr.  Evans  had  then 
seen  many  years  in  missionary  service  in  Africa,  and 
the  meeting  there  was  one  of  mutual  delight.  At  these, 
and  other  places  visited  the  bishop  preached  to  atten- 
tive native  audiences,  and  otherwise,  by  counsel  and 
cheer,  gave  encouragement  to  the  work  and  the  workers. 

The  Sherbro  Conference  convened  in  Shengeh,  Janu- 
ary 15,  and  was  presided  over  by  the  visiting  bishop. 
Mr.  King,  in  reporting  the  conference,  says,  "Bishop 
Hott  exhibited  his  characteristic  force  and  spirituality 
in  the  opening,  which  were  well  maintained  all  through 
the  conference."  One  evening,  after  a  sermon  by  a 
native  preacher,  the  bishop  conducted  an  altar  service, 
of  which  Mr.  King  says,  "The  fervency  of  the  prayers 
of  the  penitents  and  of  their  praising  God  would  have 
been  an  inspiration  to  the  gloomiest  pessimist  on  the 
subject  of  missions." 

The  conference  closed  on  Sunday.  It  was  a  red- 
letter  day.  Fourteen  children  were  presented  for  bap- 
tism by  their  parents  or  guardians.  The  bishop 
touched  every  heart  in  the  sermon  that  followed  the 
baptismal  service. 

At  the  conference  Bishop  Hott  met  not  only  the  mis- 
sionaries of  both  the  boards  of  the  Church,  but  many 
native  workers  and  others,  fruits  of  the  years  of  faith- 
ful seed-sowing  in  that  needy  land.  His  presence  and 
counsel  gave  great  encouragement  to  the  soldiers  who 
hold  these  outposts  of  the  King's  army.  They  felt  that 
his  visit  was  of  great  value  to  the  work  in  Africa,  and 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  121 

that  it  would  have  a  like  value  to  the  Church  at  home, 
in  giving  added  interest  in  missions,  which  it  surely 
did. 

The  interests  of  the  Woman's  Missionary  Associa- 
tion in  Africa  received  the  same  earnest  oversight  from 
the  bishop  as  those  of  the  General  Board.  He  visited 
their  stations  and  schools,  being  shown  marked  honors 
everywhere.  At  Bompeh,  where  the  women  have  a 
prosperous  station,  and  where  a  Sabbath  was  spent,  lie 
dedicated  a  church,  wholly  built  by  the  natives. 

But  the  time  had  come,  all  too  soon,  when  this  tour 
and  sojourn  in  this  dark  land  must  close.  Six  weeks 
had  been  spent  here,  and  the  bishop  had  preached 
eighteen  times,  lectured  twice,  and  given  twenty  or 
more  impromptu  addresses,  besides  traveling  exten- 
sively and  investigating  the  conditions  and  needs  of 
the  work.  What  were  now  his  impressions  ?  While  re- 
garding the  black  wall  of  heathenism  as  appalling,  yet 
now  from  the  standpoint  of  his  own  study  and  observa- 
tion, he  felt  that  missionary  work  was  making  steady 
progress  here.  He  considered  the  training-school  for 
the  education  of  native  workers  one  of  the  most  prom- 
ising features  of  the  work. 

After  final  consultation  with  some  of  the  mission- 
aries who  had  accompanied  them,  at  Freetown,  and 
planning  for  a  house  of  rest  on  Mount  Leicester,  near 
that  city,  for  the  use  of  missionaries  when  sick  or 
needing  rest,  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Hott  took  their  departure 
February  6.  They  reached  Liverpool  on  the  21st,  and 
went  at  once  to  London,  where  a  most  enjoyable  Sab- 
bath was  passed,  hearing  Joseph  Parker  preach  in  City 
Temple  in  the  morning,  one  of  the  canons  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  in  Westminster  Abbey  in  the  afternoon, 
and  the  Bishop  of  Marlborough  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral, 
the  largest  and  most  magnificent  Protestant  church  in 
the  world,  in  the  evening.  It  was  a  day  of  long-cher- 
ished privileges  and  delights. 


122    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

The  following  week,  the  bishop,  accompanied  by  his 
wife,  went  directly  to  that  part  of  Germany  where  the 
United  Brethren  Church  has  had  successful  missions 
for  many  years.  He  spent  two  weeks  there,  holding 
the  German  Conference  and  making  a  tour  of  the  prin- 
cipal missions  and  churches  and  making  a  careful 
study  of  the  work.  The  bishop  preached  at  a  number 
of  places,  the  Rev.  H.  Barkemeyer,  the  presiding  elder, 
acting  as  interpreter.  Though  he  had  studied  German 
some,  he  was  not  able  to  use  it  in  preaching.  In  writ- 
ing of  a  very  interesting  service  in  Galnow  he  breaks 
forth  with  this  lament,  "Oh,  that  I  were  a  Dutchman, 
full-fledged,  for  a  month,  just  to  preach  to  them  in 
their  own  language!" 

At  Falkenstein  he  was  announced  to  preach  March 
10,  but  by  an  order  from  the  mayor  of  the  city,  he  was 
forbidden  to  do  so.  It  was  believed  that  the  order  was 
inspired  by  the  preachers  of  the  state  church.  This 
was  a  new  experience.  He  had  preached  in  many  lands, 
and  this  was  the  first  time  he  was  ever  forbidden  to 
preach  the  gospel,  and  that  in  Christian  Germany! 

The  bishop's  visit  to  the  Fatherland  was  helpful  to 
preachers  and  people  who  have  been  gathered  into  the 
Church  there.  He  found  them  deeply  spiritual  in  their 
religious  life,  but  having  a  great  struggle  for  existence, 
largely  due  to  the  bitter  opposition  of  the  state  church. 
But  this  only  intensified  his  desire  that  they  might  be 
blessed  with  a  larger  freedom  in  spiritual  worship. 

This  mission  of  oversight  and  encouragement  being 
finished,  the  bishop  turned  his  steps  homeward,  he  and 
Mrs.  Hott  reaching  New  York  in  safety  and  good 
health  April  1.  Speaking  of  these  months  of  absence 
in  Africa  and  Germany,  the  Telescope  said  on  their 
return :  "The  bishop's  letters  which  we  have  published 
have  had  very  great  interest,  and  have  stimulated  a 
deeper  feeling  of  churchly  interest  in  the  missions  to 
which  he  made  this  episcopal  tour  of  visitation." 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  123 

As  indicating  the  intense  laborious  life  which  Bishop 
Hott  again  resumed  on  his  return,  it  may  be  noted 
that  Easter  Sunday  was  spent  in  New  York  City,  where 
he  preached  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  the  Good 
Shepherd.  Then,  after  preaching  in  other  places,  visit- 
ing his  mother  in  Virginia,  he  lectured  in  Columbus, 
Ohio,  the  evening  of  April  23,  and  the  next  day  deliv- 
ered the  Founders'  Day  address  at  Otterbein  Univer- 
sity. Sunday,  May  5,  while  attending  the  Seminary 
anniversaries,  he  gave  an  able  address  on  "The  Young 
People's  Society  in  the  Life  of  the  Church,"  in  connec- 
tion with  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Executive  Council 
of  the  Young  People's  Christian  Union. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Missions  a  few  days 
later,  at  Port  Wayne,  Indiana,  he  gave  a  very  full  and 
encouraging  report  of  his  visit  to  Africa  and  Germany, 
presenting  in  a  very  graphic  manner  the  conditions 
and  needs  in  those  mission  fields,  from  the  standpoint 
of  his  own  observation  and  study.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  the  sanitarium  at  Mount  Leicester  was  authorized, 
a  project  he  earnestly  advised  and  encouraged.  To  the 
furthering  of  this  enterprise  he  gave  persistent  atten- 
tion during  several  months  that  followed,  in  connec- 
tion with  other  duties.  So  great  was  his  conviction 
that  sick  and  wearied  missionaries  should  have  this 
place  for  rest  and  recuperation,  he  was  unwearied  in 
his  appeals  on  its  behalf,  both  in  the  Church  periodi- 
cals and  in  the  conferences,  till  it  was  a  happy  realiza- 
tion. By  his  own  personal  efforts  considerable  sums 
were  secured  for  this  good  work. 

This  Fort  Wayne  meeting  of  the  Board  was  one  of 
the  most  aggressive  in  spirit  and  plans  in  its  history. 
Steps  were  taken  to  strengthen  and  enlarge  the  mis- 
sions already  established,  to  plant  a  new  mission  in 
Japan,  and  to  extend  the  work  in  our  own  southland. 
The  meeting  closed  with  an  able  and  thrilling  sermon 
by  Bishop  Hott  on  "The  Preaching  of  the  Gospel." 


124    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

A  busy  summer  followed,  in  which  the  bishop 
preached  and  lectured  at  various  summer  assemblies, 
and  then  came  to  his  autumn  tour  of  conferences, 
which  opened  with  White  River,  at  Lapel,  Indiana, 
August  28.  He  had  not  presided  over  these  confer- 
ences before.  Everywhere  he  was  received  with  the 
utmost  cordiality.  This  tour  closed  with  the  West 
Nebraska  Conference,  the  last  of  October. 

Of  a  visit  made  to  York  College,  President  Reese 
said:  "We  appreciated  the  bishop's  visit  here.  His 
excellent  lectures  and  inspiring  preaching  were  a  rich 
treat  to  our  people." 

About  the  middle  of  December  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Hott 
started  for  California  to  visit  a  daughter  at  Stockton. 
Though  one  object  of  this  trip  was  to  secure  needed  rest, 
the  bishop  preached  often  on  the  Coast  in  our  own  and 
other  churches.  He  dedicated  a  church  at  Durham, 
California,  January  26,  1896,  for  the  Rev.  F.  Fisher, 
and  February  9  he  had  the  great  joy  of  dedicating  the 
beautiful  new  church  at  Los  Angeles,  which  he  had 
helped  to  plant  and  nourish  in  its  beginnings.  The 
completion  of  this  elegant  modern  house  of  worship, 
at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  was  a  splendid  tribute  to  the  zeal 
and  courage  of  the  Rev.  J.  S.  Pitman,  the  pastor,  and 
his  loyal  people.  It  will  be  remembered  that  to  this 
enterprise  the  young  people  of  the  Church  contributed 
about  $5,000.  The  success  of  this  work  was  in  large 
part  due  to  his  wise  planning  and  efforts  when  the 
Coast  bishop,  and  was  a  splendid  victory  for  the  Church 
in  southern  California. 

Returning  east,  Bishop  Hott  held  Colorado  Confer- 
ence, beginning  March  12,  and  East  Nebraska  and  Iowa 
conferences  the  two  weeks  following.  Though  residing 
within  the  bounds  of  the  latter  conference,  this  was 
the  first  time  he  presided  over  one  of  its  annual  ses- 
sions. His  courtesy,  ability,  and  fairness  made  for 
him  warm  and  lasting  friends. 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  125 

The  annual  sermon  at  the  commencement  of  Union 
Biblical  Seminary,  in  May,  was  preached  by  Bishop 
Hott  from  John  20 :  18,  "I  have  seen  the  Lord,"  the 
theme  being,  "The  Supreme  Spiritual  Vision."  The 
sermon  was  strong,  practical,  and  timely,  and  was  only 
another  illustration  of  his  remarkable  versatility  and 
readiness  in  adapting  himself  to  special  occasions. 

After  attending  the  meetings  of  the  Missionary  and 
Church-Erection  boards  at  Alexis,  Illinois,  and  par- 
ticipating in  their  deliberations  with  his  accustomed 
heartiness,  he  met  important  engagements  in  many 
different  places,  at  Lane  University,  Lecompton,  Kan- 
sas, receiving  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws, 
and  then  attended  the  general  Young  People's  Conven- 
tion of  the  Church,  which  met  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
June  21.  Here  he  gave  the  closing  address  on  "Young 
People  and  Evangelism,"  a  magnificent  parting  mes- 
sage to  the  delegates  on  the  conditions  and  joys  of 
soul-winning. 

Writing  of  this  gathering  for  the  Watchword,  the 
bishop  said :  "It  was  a  great  convention  for  the  young, 
for  ideas,  methods,  exercises,  fellowship,  hope,  enthu- 
siasm, enlargement,  education,  aggressiveness,  conse- 
cration, all  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  young  heart  and 
life.  . '  .  .  The  convention  exalted  great  themes. 
No  little  and  mean  issues  gained  prominence." 

The  International  Christian  Endeavor  Convention 
met  -in  Washington,  D.  C,  July  9.  Bishop  Hott  was 
there  representing  the  United  Brethren  Church,  and 
having  an  important  place  on  the  program  of  that 
great  meeting.  The  theme  of  his  address  was,  "Per- 
sonal Responsibility  in  Soul- Winning."  The  Washing- 
ton Star  spoke  highly  of  the  address  and  published  a 
generous  synopsis  of  it,  together  with  a  good  portrait 
cut  of  the  bishop. 

A  new  circuit  of  conferences  began  with  Miami,*  at 
Lewisburg,  Ohio,  September  2.    At  none  of  these  had 


126    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Ilott 

he  previously  presided.  Under  his  guidance  business 
and  religion  were  happily  commingled  and  these  gath- 
erings were  real  seasons  of  spiritual  and  churchly  up- 
lift. Writing  for  the  Telescope  of  October  28,  of  the 
six  Ohio  conferences,  the  bishop  said:  "The  most 
thorough  Christian  courtesy,  and  brotherly  fellowship, 
and  churchly  sympathy  and  regard  were  shown  by  all 
the  conferences  to  myself  and  to  all  the  general  officers 
of  the  Church." 

In  the  spring  of  1897  he  held  Pennsylvania,  Mary- 
land, and  Virginia  conferences,  completing  his  second 
quadrennial  term  in  the  general  superintendency  of 
the  Church.  Under  the  plans  for  episcopal  supervision 
he  had  now  visited  all  parts  of  the  Church,  being  self- 
sacrificing  and  abundant  in  labors.  That  his  intense 
activity  and  churchly  devotion  and  enterprise  should 
have  awakened  some  opposition  to  his  administration 
of  affairs  in  certain  cases,  and  that  this  would  follow 
him  to  the  next  General  Conference,  was  to  be  ex- 
pected. It  was  the  opposition  which  great  men,  ag- 
gressive leaders,  men  who  do  something,  always  have 
to  meet.  To  this,  however,  he  gave  no  heed,  though 
conscious  of  it,  but  maintained  with  unwavering  fidel- 
ity his  relations  to  all  his  brethren,  especially  to  those 
in  the  general  service  of  the  Church,  and  to  all  the  in- 
terests of  the  denomination  he  loved  so  well.  His  high- 
minded  purpose  and  zeal,  with  his  broad  charity,  so 
characteristic  of  his  whole  life,  were  not  disturbed  by 
these  things.  His  manly  and  Christian  equipoise  un- 
der all  circumstances  was  not  only  a  leading  trait  of 
his  character,  but  an  element  of  strength  and  worth  of 
incalculable  service  under  varied  conditions  and  re- 
quirements. 

The  twenty-second  General  Conference  convened  in 
Toledo,  Iowa,  May  13,  1897.  All  the  bishops  were  pres- 
ent and  one  hundred  and  ninety-one  other  delegates, 
lay  and  clerical,  making  this  the  largest  and  most  rep- 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  127 

resentative  meeting  of  the  kind  that  had  ever  assem- 
bled in  the  history  of  the  Church.  The  past  quadren- 
nium  had  been  one  of  general  prosperity  and  growth. 
The  increase  in  the  membership  of  the  Church  was 
about  36,000  for  the  four  years.  The  triumphant  suc- 
cess of  the  litigation  forced  upon  the  Church  by  the 
seceders  following  the  1889  conference,  was  the  occa- 
sion of  special  rejoicing  and  hope.  Though  the  legal 
struggle  was  not  yet  over,  it  was  felt  the  end  was  near. 
The  legislation  of  the  session  was  generally  wise  and 
progressive.  Among  the  measures  looking  to  the  in- 
creased efficiency  of  the  Church  were  the  putting  of  in- 
creased emphasis  on  a  higher  standard  of  qualification 
for  the  ministry,  providing  for  the  employment  of  dea- 
conesses, and  the  stationing  of  the  bishops,  each  on  a 
district  for  the  entire  quadrennium. 

Bishop  Hott  was  elected  for  the  third  time  one  of 
the  general  superintendents  of  the  Church,  though  the 
vote  showed  the  result  of  evident  opposition.  While 
this  was  a  source  of  unspeakable  humiliation  and  grief 
to  one  of  his  sensitive  make-up,  his  feelings  never 
found  expression  in  any  public  act  or  word.  His  seren- 
ity and  nobleness  of  character  were  notably  preserved, 
and  he  gave  himself  with  renewed  zeal  and  efficiency 
to  the  cause  of  his  Master  and  his  Church. 

The  other  bishops  were  all  reelected,  and  the  assign- 
ments for  the  ensuing  four  years  were  made  as  follows : 
The  Ohio  District,  Bishop  Hott ;  East  District,  Bishop 
Kephart;  Central  District,  Bishop  Castle;  West  Dis- 
trict, Bishop  Mills. 

Bishop  Hott  chose  Dayton,  Ohio,  as  his  episcopal 
residence.  Thus  he  had  his  home  where  he  had  for- 
merly lived  and  where  he  had  many  and  devoted 
friends.  Soon  after  the  General  Conference  he  began 
to  plan  for  his  coming  conferences,  and  to  arrange  to 
make  their  sessions  seasons  for  the  deepening  of  the 
spiritual  life  of  ministers  and  people,  as  well  as  for 


128    Life  arid  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

the  usual  business.  He  prepared  Bible  readings  on 
vital  and  practical  themes,  which  he  gave  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  daily  sessions. 

This  is  the  spirit  with  which  a  new  quadrennium  was 
entered,  and  this  only  broadened  and  deepened  with  the 
passing  of  the  years,  making  this  preeminently  the 
crowning  period  of  his  active  and  useful  life. 

In  1899  a  conference  of  ministers  and  Christian 
workers  for  Bible  study  for  the  deepening  of  the  spirit- 
ual life  was  held  May  2  to  7,  under  the  auspices  of 
Union  Biblical  Seminary  and  the  pastors  of  the  United 
Brethren  churches  of  Dayton,  Ohio.  Bishop  Hott  was 
the  president  of  the  association  arranging  for  this  con- 
ference, and  worked  assiduously  for  its  success.  He  was 
especially  solicitous  that  the  pastors  of  churches  on  his 
district  should  attend  the  conference  and  share  its 
blessings.  Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  recognized  as  one 
of  the  spiritual  leaders  of  the  world,  conducted  the  con- 
ference. It  was  largely  attended  by  ministers  from 
many  States,  who  testified  to  its  great  helpfulness.  The 
bishop  assisted  in  planning  and  holding  similar  meet- 
ings at  the  close  of  the  Seminary  year  the  two  follow- 
ing years,  with  like  good  results. 

In  his  management  of  his  conferences,  and  in  the 
versatility  of  his  methods  of  study  and  work,  Bishop 
Hott  showed  a  wonderful  facility  in  getting  out  of  the 
beaten  paths.  This  was  true  of  him  also  as  a  preacher, 
writer,  and  thinker. 

The  conferences  of  his  district  were  held  without 
special  or  unpleasant  incidents  during  the  quadren- 
nium, the  bishop's  associations  with  the  members  be- 
ing of  the  most  pleasant  character.  His  oversight  of 
the  work  and  his  administration  of  the  discipline  of 
the  Church  were  marked  by  wisdom  and  prudence. 
His  intellectual  endowments,  scholarly  attainments, 
and  unusual  preaching  ability,  and  that  wide  outlook 
upon  the  world  which  comes  from  large  experience  in 


Bishop  and  Church  Leader  129 

dealing  with  men,  together  with  his  ethical  integrity 
and  physical  energy,  comprised  a  remarkable  catalogue 
of  qualifications  for  the  office  of  a  Christian  bishop. 
It  was  the  possession  of  these  elements  of  strength  that 
enabled  him  to  endure  so  well  the  incessant  drafts  on 
his  vital  energies  through  so  many  laborious  years. 
There  was  never  any  question  of  the  wisdom  of  the 
Church  in  its  laying  its  hands  upon  James  W.  Hott 
and  investing  him  with  the  functions  of  so  exalted 
and  trying  a  position. 

This  quadrennium,  however,  while  furnishing  him 
unequaled  opportunities  for  wide  and  effective  service 
to  the  Church,  was  destined  to  bring  to  him  the  most 
crushing  sorrow  of  his  life,  in  the  long  and  painful 
illness  of  Mrs.  Hott,  which  terminated  in  her  death 
August  7,  1899.  For  two  years  she  was  the  one  object 
of  her  devoted  husband's  tender  watchfulness  and  care. 
Through  all  her  helpless  and  weary  sufferings  she  main- 
tained a  beautiful  calmness  and  resignation  which 
greatly  impressed  her  friends.  This  disposition  was  in 
sweet  accord  with  her  cheerful  and  even-tempered 
Christian  life.  She  had  been  the  faithful  and  affec- 
tionate wife  of  a  minister  of  the  gospel  for  thirty-five 
years,  being  his  ready  support  and  most  trusted  coun- 
selor in  all  the  responsible  duties  to  which  the  Church 
had  called  him.  She  was  a  true  minister's  companion, 
always  sympathetic  and  helpful  in  cooperation.  Her 
life  closed  with  the  beautiful  radiance  all  about  her 
of  the  day  which  had  preceded,  triumphant  and 
peaceful. 

The  funeral  service  was  held  in  the  bishop's  Wil- 
liams Street  home,  Dayton,  Ohio,  August  9.  The  pas- 
tor, the  Eev.  C.  W.  Kurtz,  read  the  Scripture  lesson. 
Dr.  H.  H.  Fout  offered  prayer,  and  Dr.  G.  M.  Mathews, 
a  former  pastor,  read  a  biographical  sketch  of  the  life 
of  Mrs.  Hott.     Dr.  W.  J.  Shuey  and  Bishop  Weaver 


130    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Jlott 

made  tender  and  comforting  addresses.  The  interment 
took  place  in  Woodland  Cemetery. 

Bishop  Hott  had  the  profound  sympathy  of  the 
Church  in  this  great  bereavement,  but  he  found  his 
chief  comfort  in  his  work,  to  which  he  continued  to 
devote  himself  with  unfaltering  zeal  and  courage.  His 
spirit  and  life  seemed  only  to  have  been  sweetened  and 
enriched  by  the  deep  shadows  through  which  he  had 
passed.  With  the  discipline  which  the  experiences  of 
sorrow  brought  him,  there  came  only  clearer  visions  of 
life,  present  and  future,  and  he  gave  himself  with  a 
new  fidelity  and  earnestness  to  the  one  work  to  which 
he  was  consecrated.  All  the  resourcefulness  of  his  be- 
ing he  poured  into  that.  No  sacrifice  or  labor  was  too 
great  that  he  might  preach  Christ  and  lead  the  Church 
to  a  loftier  and  holier  sense  of  the  dignity  and  respon- 
sibility of  its  divine  mission. 

It  was  in  this  spirit,  warm  and  strong  in  heart,  ra- 
diant in  his  love  for  Christ  and  passionate  in  his  love 
for  souls,  though  wearied  in  body  and  brain,  that 
Bishop  James  W.  Hott  came  to  the  close  of  the  third 
quadrennial  term  of  his  episcopal  service. 


CHAPTEK  IX. 

Last  General  Conference,  Sickness,  and  Death. 

The  twenty-third  General  Conference  was  held  in 
Frederick  City,  Maryland,  May  9  to  21,  1901.  All  the 
bishops  were  present  except  Bishop  Weaver,  who  had 
died  during  the  quadrenniurn. 

This  Conference  was  made  memorable  as  marking 
the  centennial  anniversary  of  the  formal  organization 
of  the  Church.  Then,  it  was  held  on  historic  ground, 
amid  the  scenes  of  the  early  labors  of  the  fathers  of 
the  Church,  Otterbein,  Boehm,  and  others.  The  house 
in  which  the  first  conference  was  held  in  1800,  known 
in  the  history  of  the  Church  as  the  Peter  Kemp  home, 
still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  is  only  two  miles 
from  Frederick,  and  to  it  the  members  of  the  confer- 
ence paid  a  visit  on  Monday,  May  13,  and  there  held 
impressive  memorial  services,  led  by  Bishop  Mills.  The 
next  day  a  pilgrimage  was  made  to  Baltimore  to  the 
church  and  tomb  of  Otterbein,  the  human  founder  of 
the  denomination,  where  fitting  addresses  and  other 
exercises  in  memory  of  the  character  and  work  of  Wil- 
liam Otterbein  were  held,  participated  in  by  the  bishops 
and  others. 

At  the  next  regular  session  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence, Bishop  Hott,  the  presiding  officer,  said:  "It  is 
probable  that  no  General  Conference  in  the  history  of 
our  beloved  Church  has  ever  assembled  with  such 
memories  lying  back  of  it  as  those  carried  by  us  to 
this  morning's  session  from  yesterday  and  the  day  be- 
fore. Since  our  last  business  session  we  visited  the 
scenes  of  the  first  conference,  held  one  hundred  years 

131 


132    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  JBbtt 

ago  by  the  fathers  at  the  home  of  Peter  Kemp,  and 
yesterday  we  mingled  in  holy  fellowship  and  service 
within  the  walls  where  Otterbein,  the  founder  of  our 
beloved  Zion,  ministered  the  word  of  God  for  so  many 
years,  and  stood  by  the  tomb  where  his  dust  rests  in 
peace.  We  come  up  to  this  morning's  session  filled,  I 
doubt  not,  with  such  hopes  for  our  Zion,  and  such 
hopes  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  have  not  before 
rested  upon  us,  and  with  such  purposes  of  holy  conse- 
cration of  our  lives  and  of  our  powers  and  of  our  serv- 
ices, to  the  great  end  sought  by  our  fathers,  as  have 
not  before  entered  into  the  experience  of  our  lives." 

The  historic  features  of  this  Conference  were  fur- 
ther signalized  in  a  series  of  centennial  addresses 
delivered  during  the  Conference,  and  which  have  since 
been  published  in  a  volume  of  over  two  hundred  pages. 
One  of  these  centenary  addresses  was  delivered  by 
Bishop  Hott.  His  theme,  one  in  which  he  found  rare 
delight,  was  "The  Heroism  of  the  Fathers."  It  was  the 
earnest  tribute  of  a  grateful  and  loyal  son  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  fathers,  who  laid  so  wisely  and  well  the  foun- 
dations of  the  Church.  It  abounded  in  graphic  and 
eloquent  allusions  to  the  first  conference,  and  the 
"plain  men,  stalwart  sons  of  nature,  mighty  in  holy 
deeds,"  that  composed  it.  Otterbein  and  Boehm  and 
Newcomer  were  there,  the  two  first  named  being  elected 
bishops,  and  others  with  "great  minds  and  loyal 
hearts." 

Speaking  of  the  difficulties  the  fathers  encountered, 
Bishop  Hott  said,  in  part:  "I  wish  I  could  experience 
for  one  hour  the  emotions  of  Bishop  Otterbein  as  he 
rode  through  this  city  out  to  Peter  Kemp's  to  the  con- 
ference of  1800.  I  wish  that  my  soul  might  thrill  with 
the  sensations  that  stirred  his  great  nature  as  he  opened 
that  conference  with  prayer  and  exhortation.  What 
would  we  not  give  to  have  live  in  us  for  one  hour  the 
feelings  of  Bishop  Newcomer  as  he  knelt  on  the  sum- 


Last  General  Conference,  Sickness,  Death  133 

mit  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains  beside  the  stone  altar 
he  had  reared,  and,  Jacob-like,  saw  the  angels  of  God 
going  up  and  coming  down  before  him,  then  reverently 
rose  and  took  his  lonely  way  to  the  opening  fields  of 
God  in  Ohio  ?  What  a  figure  he  was  as  he  knelt  alone 
on  the  banks  of  a  swollen  stream  in  central  Ohio  and 
thanked  God  with  all  his  soul  for  delivering  him  safely 
across!  Behind  the  fathers  were  spiritual  power  and 
God;  before  them,  wilderness  and  hope.  It  is  a  manly 
man  that  walks  undaunted  in  the  darkness.  Our 
fathers  walked  and  worked  in  the  shadows,  shadows  of 
the  early  morning;  fixed  their  eyes  on  the  Cross  and 
the  coming  day,  and  made  a  Church  for  themselves 
and  their  little  ones." 

This  thrilling  and  characteristic  address  closed  with 
a  reference  to  the  spirit  of  consecration  which  belonged 
to  the  fathers  of  the  Church.  "The  fathers  were  not 
inspired  by  ecclesiastical  ambitions.  There  is  an  en- 
thusiasm kindled  by  church  pride.  It  was  not  known 
to  them.  .  .  .  No  earthly  emoluments  allured 
them.  They  asked  no  marble  shaft  for  their  last  rest- 
ing-place. They  gave  themselves  not  expecting  to  re- 
ceive gains.  They  gave  the  world  a  Church  made 
sacred  to  us  by  their  prayers  and  tears  and  sacrificing 
toils.  Were  I  permitted,  I  should  like  here  and  now 
to  call  the  long  roll  of  names  of  these  illustrious  men 
of  God." 

Little  did  the  bishop  think,  when  paying  these  just 
encomiums  to  the  fathers,  so  strong  and  heroic,  that  he 
so  soon  would  be  gathered  with  them. 

His  address  at  the  service  held  in  memory  of  de- 
ceased members  of  the  Conference,  was  one  not  to  be 
forgotten  by  those  who  heard  it.  Its  spirit  was  sweet, 
sympathetic,  and  tender,  well  befitting  the  speaker  and 
the  occasion. 

The  legislation  of  this  Conference  generally  was  of 
a  high  order  of  merit.    The  event  of  the  session  was  the 


134    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Ilott 

adoption,  by  a  vote  of  126  to  42,  of  a  plan  for  equal  lay 
and  ministerial  representation  in  the  General  Confer- 
ence, on  a  pro  rata  basis.  And  thus  was  enacted  a  law, 
by  a  gratifyingly  large  vote,  that  will  vitally  affect  the 
future  life  and  polity  of  the  Church.  Other  enact- 
ments, though  of  minor  importance,  were  progressive 
in  spirit,  well  befitting  a  Church  with  its  face  clearly 
set  to  the  future.  The  centenary  character  of  this 
General  Conference  gave  new  and  added  emphasis  to 
the  providential  history  and  mission  of  the  Church. 

For  the  fourth  time  J.  W.  Hott  was  elected  to  the 
bishop's  office.  His  colleagues,  Castle,  Kephart,  and 
Mills  were  also  reelected.  The  district  plan  of  super- 
intendence adopted  four  years  before  had  given  such 
satisfaction  that  it  was  continued,  and  the  bishops  were 
stationed  as  follows:  East  District,  Mills;  Ohio  Dis- 
trict, Kephart;  Central  District,  Hott;  West  District, 
Castle. 

On  the  day  preceding  the  final  adjournment  of  the 
Conference,  Bishop  Hott  was  taken  quite  ill,  and  was 
so  prostrated  that  he  decided  to  return  to  his  home  as 
early  as  possible.  His  devoted  friend,  Dr.  D.  R.  Miller, 
was  a  traveling  companion  from  Frederick  to  Dayton. 
On  the  way  they  discussed  matters  at  some  length  that 
had  been  before  the  General  Conference.  He  then  re- 
ferred to  the  superintendents'  districts  as  arranged  by 
the  Conference,  and  especially  to  the  one  to  which  he 
had  been  assigned.  Then  he  said:  "Mine  is  a  good 
district.  It  has  in  it  some  excellent  conferences  and 
many  noble  men.  It  is  a  fine  field  for  full  and  vigorous 
work  of  the  bishop.  I  may  get  to  it  and  do  some  of  the 
work  expected  of  me,  but  that  with  me  is  a  question." 
Then,  pausing  for  a  moment,  he  looked  Dr.  Miller 
firmly  in  the  face,  and  said,  "Yes,  I  may  possibly  get 
to  my  district  and  do  a  little  work,  but  only  a  little,  if 
any.  I  shall  not  complete  the  work  assigned  me  by 
the    Conference."      Then,   with   some   degree   of   em- 


Last  General  Conference,  Sickness,  Death  135 

phasis,  he  added,  "D.  R.,  I  shall  never  attend  another 
General  Conference.  I  shall  never  again  meet  you  in 
a  Conference.  I  am  going  home  to  die  rather  than  to 
engage  in  active  service.  If  it  were'  ordered  so,  I  should 
be  pleased  to  give  my  district  a  full  term  of  service, 
but  I  am  assured  that  the  Master  is  ordering  other- 
wise, and  I  shall  accept  as  wise  and  just  his  order." 

How  the  bishop  became  thus  impressed  that  his  end 
was  near  he  did  not  state.  At  the  time,  however,  he 
was  calm,  deliberate,  and  capable,  and  as  a  thoughtful, 
dutiful  child  he  seemed  submissive  to  whatsoever  the 
whisperings  of  the  Father  might  be. 

While  there  seemed  then  to  be  no  serious  occasion 
for  such  fears,  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events  his 
premonition  was  seen  to  be  well  grounded.  It  was 
hoped  by  his  friends  that,  with  rest  after  the  strain  of. 
the  General  Conference  and  four  years  of  most  exact- 
ing care  and  toil,  he  would  regain  his  wonted  vigor. 
By  all  visible  seeming  he  had  the  best  of  his  career  yet 
before  him,  and  the  Church  needed  him  as  it  needed 
few  other  men. 

May  29,  at  the  home  of  his  son-in-law,  the  Rev.  J.  G. 
Huber,  Dayton,  Ohio,  Bishop  Hott  was  married  to 
Miss  Marie  Shank,  a  lady  of  rare  Christian  virtues  and 
refinement.  She  had  been  reared  and  educated  in  the 
Church,  and  belongs  to  one  of  the  wealthy  and  influ- 
ential families  of  the  Miami  Valley.  The  marriage 
was  solemnized  by  Dr.  G.  M.  Mathews,  in  the  presence 
of  two  of  the  bishop's  daughters  and  sons-in-law,  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Lorenz,  of  New  York  City,  and  the  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  J.  G.  Huber.  This  was  felt  to  be  a  very  happy 
union,  Mrs.  Hott  being  admirably  adapted  to  the  duties 
and  responsibilities  of  a  minister's  wife,  and  especially 
to  be  the  wife  of  a  bishop  in  the  Church.  After  a  sea- 
son of  rest  in  Virginia,  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Hott  proposed 
to  make  their  home  in  the  central  West,  where  his 
episcopal  residence  should  be  located  during-  the  next 


136    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

four  years.  But  alas  for  human  plans  and  expecta- 
tions! The  visit  to  the  dear  old  Virginia  home,  with 
all  its  fascinating  charms,  was  never  made.  Nothing 
was  ever  done  in  a  definite  way  as  to  the  choice  of  a 
place  of  residence  within  the  Central  District,  though 
there  was  some  correspondence  about  it.  The  physical 
prostration  of  the  bishop  steadily  became  more  com- 
plete and  alarming.  His  sickness  was  an  indescribable 
one.  From  the  first,  in  his  mind  it  seemed  a  hopeless 
fight.  Early  in  the  struggle  the  fear  he  would  not  re- 
cover utterly  and  absolutely  left  him.  He  sought  its 
return,  but  in  vain.  The  physicians  could  not  locate 
any  fatal  disease,  nor  could  he  himself  absolutely  fix 
upon  any  organ  where  the  breakdown  and  pain  were- 
most  pronounced.  His  courage  and  iron  will,  that  had 
given  him  victory  in  so  many  severe  struggles,  some- 
how failed  him  now.  To  the  grief  of  his  friends,  he 
slowly  lost  interest  in  the  objects  and  employments  of 
his  life  and  love,  and  they  were  saddened  in  view  of 
the  inevitable.  But  he  was  ever  kind  and  patient,  ever 
gentle  and  thoughtful.  Long  weeks  of  sleepless  nights 
and  torn,  tried  nerves  were  no  excuse-  for  impatient 
words  when  noises  of  playing  children  reached  his 
room.  He  never,  never  spoke  a  hasty  or  unkind  word, 
nor  did  he  ever  in  his  days  of  health  indulge  in  harsh 
criticism  of  a  friend  or  member  of  the  family.  The 
law  of  kindness  was  on  his  lips  to  the  last. 

But  he  had  put  the  pressure  of  will  on.  his  life  so 
long  that  the  whole  system,  the  entire  mechanism,  gave 
way  at  once,  and  there  was  no  material  left  for 
repairs.  The  fuel  supply  was  exhausted.  Day 
after  day  he  made  the  impression  upon  his  faithful 
attendants  of  a  man  utterly  exhausted,  but  who  could 
not  find  his  resting-place.  He  could  neither  eat,  drink, 
nor  sleep — nature  would  not  let  him  die  nor  would  it 
provide  a  transient  shelter  for  repose  until  his  hour 
was  here.    Many,  many  times  he  said,  "Oh,  that  I  had 


Last  General  Conference,  Sickness,  Death  137 

the  wings  of  a  dove!  How  quickly  then  I  would  fly 
away  and  be  at  rest."  His  body  had  served  l:'m  well, 
but  his  travels  and  labors,  his  unwearied  devotk  n  to  his 
invalid  wife,  together  with  his  work  on  the  Ohio  Dis- 
trict— these  shattered  his  nerves;  they  wore  Him  out, 
and  his  strength  ebbed  away  never  to  come  back. 

Eminent  spacialists  were  consulted.  They  agreed  in 
diagnosis,  but  none  could  prescribe  a  remedy.  The 
best  of  care  in  sanitarium,  hospital,  and  home  was 
given  him,  but  failed  to  give  relief  or  hope.  The  af- 
fectionate care  of  wife  and  children  could  do  nothing 
but  call  forth  from  the  patient  the  warmest  expres- 
sions of  appreciation  for  what  was  done  for  him,  even 
to  the  last  day.  Nothing  could  be  done  to  restore  the 
wasted,  exhausted  vital  energies  of  either  body  _  or 
brain,  and  after  months  of  weary  and  painful  affliction 
Bishop  James  W.  Hott  died,  January  9,  1902,  in  the 
fifty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  He  had  been  forty  years 
a  minister,  and.  nearly  thirteen  years  a  bishop. 

A  year  or  more  before  his  demise  he  began  to  decline 
in  health  and  vigor,  though  he  did  not  relinquish  his 
labors  and  anxious  care  for  the  Church  and  its  pros- 
perity. Every  energy  of  his  being  was  summoned  for 
his  crowning  work  in  the  historic  Frederick  Confer- 
ence, to  which  he  had  looked  with  deepest  interest,  and 
of  which  he  had  expectantly  written,  during  the  four 
years  preceding ;  and  when  the  work  of  that  gathering 
was  over,  he  hastened  to  his  home,  the  work  of  his 
strenuous  life  finished. 

During  the  last  weeks  of  his  life  he  sent  loving  mes- 
sages to  the  Church  and  to  his  dear  old  mother  in  her 
far-off  Virginia  home.  There  was  something  deeply 
pathetic  about  some  of  his  last  utterances,  occasioned 
by  his  grievous  affliction.  It  was  a  sorrowful  and  yet 
a  sweet  privilege  to  Mrs.  Hott  to  be  at  his  bedside  dur- 
ing the  tedious  months  of  his  prostration,  and  tenderly 
to  minister  to  his  comfort  till  he  breathed  his  last. 


138    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

The  last  two  and  one-half  years  of  his  life  he  made 
his  home  with  his  youngest  daughter,  Mattie,  and  his 
shelter  here  was  to  him  an  unspeakable  solace  during 
the  long  months  of  his  affliction.  While  he  himself  de- 
cided to  make  trial  of  the  improved  processes  of  a  sani- 
tarium, when  the  hour  came  his  leave-taking  from  his 
library  and  home  was  most  pathetic. 

As  his  condition  became  more  critical,  his  eldest 
daughter,  Mrs.  D.  E.  Lorenz,  of  New  York  City,  has- 
tened to  assist  in  his  care.  His  second  daughter,  Mrs. 
J.  H.  Francis,  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  also  came, 
and  during  the  dark  days  of  approaching  death  min- 
istered lovingly  to  his  needs.  His  brother,  the  Kev. 
George  P.  Hott,  of  Dayton,  Virginia,  arrived  two  days 
before  the  end,  and  received  fullest  and  warmest  recog- 
nition. He  and  the  two  daughters  from  a  distance  re- 
mained for  the  sad  burial  services. 

The  funeral  was  held  in  the  Oak  Street  Church 
Monday  afternoon,  January  13.  Dr.  H.  H.  Fout,  the 
former  pastor  of  the  church,  had  charge  of  the  services, 
Mr.  Huber,  the  present  pastor,  being  a  member  of  the 
sorrowing  family.  In  introducing  the  services  Dr. 
Fout,  with  deep  emotion,  said: 

"My  friends,  we  have  come  together  to-day  to  render 
the  last  service  that  love,  and  grief,  and  assured  hope 
can.  give  to  our  distinguished  friend  and  brother,  whom 
we  knew  so  well  and  loved  so  warmly.  It  is  difficult 
for  us  to  realize  that  Bishop  Hott  is  dead.  The  Church 
of  his  choice  and  love,  in  whose  history  he  has  wrought 
so  conspicuously  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century, 
sits  to-day  under  the  shadow  of  a  great  sorrow;  and 
while  we  are  assembled,  thousands  are  looking  this  way 
with  hearts  overburdened  with  grief  because  of  a  sense 
of  loss,  and  overflowing  with  joy  because  he  lived.  The 
presence  to-day  of  this  large  audience  speaks  more  elo- 
quently than  words  of  the  place  he  held  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people.    Our  hearts  ache  with  a  sense  of 


Last  General  Conference,  Sickness,  Death  139 

personal  loss.  He  opened  to  us  his  heart  and  his  home. 
When  our  burdens  were  the  heaviest,  he  helped  us  to 
carry  them,  and  when  our  spirits  were  gloomiest  he 
often  spoke  the  word  that  made  us  hope  again. 

"We  ai-e  here  to  thank  God  for  the  rich  inheritance 
he  has  left  us.  His  virtues  remain  with  us  in  tender, 
loving  memory.  They  are  ours  forever.  .  .  .  Our 
dear,  departed  bishop  has  left  an  enduring  memorial 
in  the  hearts  of  hundreds  and  thousands  who  have  been 
touched  by  his  life,  and  won  to  Christ  by  his  ministry." 

These  remarks  were  followed  by  a  brief  invocation 
by  Dr.  I.  L.  Kephart,  while  the  organist  played  softly 
and  slowly,  "Lead,  Kindly  Light." 

Prayer  was  offered  by  Dr.  Funkhouser,  and  an  ap- 
preciative sketch  of  the  bishop's  life  was  read  by  Dr. 
G.  M.  Mathews.  Addresses  were  made  by  Bishops 
Kephart  and  Mills,  in  which  fitting  tributes  were  paid 
to  their  departed  associate,  and  by  Dr.  W.  M.  Bell  and 
Dr.  W.  J.  Shuey.  The  latter  had  long  been  intimately 
associated  with  the  bishop,  and  he  spoke  with  deep 
feeling  as  a  close  personal  friend.  Dr.  J.  P.  Landis 
gave  a  tribute  of  love  and  gratitude  from  the  present 
writer,  who  had  been  so  many  years  associated  with  the 
bishop  in  editorial  work.  A  telegram  from  Bishop 
Castle,  from  the  Pacific  Coast,  was  read,  asking  to 
have  read  Isaiah  52 :  7  and  I.  Corinthians  15 :  55-58. 

The  Union  Biblical  Seminary  Quartet  sang  several 
beautiful  hymns  of  consolation  and  hope,  "Peace,  Be 
Still,"  "We  are  going  down  the  valley,"  and  "Wonder- 
ful Peace."  The  services  in  the  church  closed  with  a 
prayer  of  gratitude  and  hope  by  Dr.  W.  E.  Funk.  The 
occasion  will  always  be  memorable  for  its  impressive- 
ness. 

The  body  of  Bishop  Hott  was  carried  by  his  brethren 
in  the  ministry  to  the  grave,  in  Woodland  Cemetery, 
where  it  was  deposited  to  await  the  event  of  promised 
resurrection.     In  this  beautiful  city  of  the  dead  now 


140    lAfe  and  Career  of  James  William  Jlott 

rest  the  remains  of  three  of  the  beloved  bishops  of  th« 
Church — Edwards,  Weaver,  Hott. 

The  wide  expressions  of  grief  which  the  death  of 
Bishop  Hott  called  forth,  are  sufficient  to  indicate  the 
large  and  deep  hold  he  had  on  the  Church,  and  many 
have  been  led  to  wonder  at  the  providence  of  God  that 
he  should  not  have  lived  beyond  fifty-seven  years. 

There  must  be  something  unusual  about  a  life  with 
so  humble  a  beginning,  beset  with  obstacles,  tbat  rises 
to  such  eminence  and  power.  Such  a  life  was  that  of 
James  W.  Hott.  This  country  boy,  with  humble  and 
poor  parents,  and  with  nothing  advantageous  to  give 
him  earthly  prestige,  in  the  providence  of  God  rises 
through  successive  stages  to  the  very  pinnacle  of  com- 
manding influence  and  leadership  in  a  great  Church. 
By  what  law  was  this  ascent  made  but  by  that  of  noble 
living  and  personal  worth  ?  The  way  of  righteouanefB 
is  the  way  to-  truest  honor  and  surest  succese. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Letters. 

The  art  of  letter-writing  is  sometimes  said  to  be  one 
of  the  lost  arts,  but  that  was  not  the  case  with  James 
W.  Hott.  He  was  notably  accomplished  as  a  letter- 
writer.  Much  of  his  correspondence  for  the  Religious 
Telescope,  when  he  was  its  editor  and  since,  was  of  the 
nature  of  letter-writing.  He  had  the  happy  faculty  of 
writing  about  what  he  saw  and  heard,  even  about  things 
in  themselves  trivial,  in  a  way  to  interest  and  please 
his  readers.  There  was  always  an  ease  and  gracious- 
ness  about  his  writings  of  this  character  that  made  and 
perpetuated  the  closest  friendships. 

On  the  score  of  penmanship  merely,  the  bishop  was 
never  a  good  writer.  He  wrote  a  hand  exceedingly 
difficult  to  read  by  those  not  familiar  with  it;  but 
those  accustomed  to  his  writing,  like  the  Telescope 
compositors,  proof-readers,  and  familiar  friends,  could 
read  it  with  comparative  ease. 

His  poor  writing  did  not  come  with  the  stress  of 
public  duties  which  required  rapid  penmanship.  He 
was  always  a  poor  writer.  When  a  young  man,  during 
the  days  of  his  courtship,  it  is  said  he  was  accustomed 
to  employ  a  brother  to  perform  the  part  of  John 
Alden. 

It  is  also  said  that  when  he  first  wrote  a  letter  to  his 
mother  on  a  typewriter  she  protested  against  his  doing 
so  again,  assigning  as  a  reason  that,  in  reading  a  type- 
written letter  she  got  all  there  was  in  it  at  the  first 
reading,  but  that  from  a  letter  written  in  his  own  hand 
she  was  always  able  to  get  something  new  out  of  it  at 

141 


142    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

every  reading.  Asking  his  mother  as  to  the  correctness 
of  this  alleged  statement,  she  simply  said,  "I  think 
they  have  exaggerated  it  some."  However  this  may 
be,  many  of  the  bishop's  correspondents  have  had  an 
experience  not  unlike  that  of  his  mother,  often  pro- 
vokingly  annoying.  But  he  wrote  rapidly,  and  often 
under  difficulties,  as  when  traveling  and  late  at  night, 
and  it  is  a  marvel  that  his  voluminous  correspondence 
had  such  uniform  sprightliness  and  interest.  His  let- 
ters were  strongly  typical  of  the  man. 

Among  the  sweetest  and  best  letters  Bishop  Hott 
ever  wrote  are  those  written  to  his  mother,  of  which 
hundreds  are  preserved.  He  wrote  her  often.  The  few 
that  here  follow  are  characteristic.  In  the  first  one 
there  are  tender  references  to  the  deaths  of  his  sister 
Ella  and  brother  Charlie. 

"Woodbridge,  Cal.,  January  29,  1891. 

"Dear  Mother  :  Your  letter  dated  January  16  came 
to  me  last  evening.  Oh,  I  was  so  glad  to  have  a  line — 
a  dear  good  letter — from  your  own  hand  once  more.  I 
appreciate  it  the  more  because  I  know  how  hard  it  was 
for  you  to  write.  I  can  imagine  how  broken  in  spirit 
you  are.  I  have  written  to  you  once  or  twice  since  we 
heard  of  Ella's  death. 

"I  see  now,  dear  mother,  that  our  home  is  over  yon- 
der. We  shall  all  go  there  to  rest  by  and  by.  God 
knows  best  whom  to  call  home  first.  None  were  so  well 
prepared  as  dear  Ella  and  Charlie.  All  would  say 
that. 

"I  do  not  know  why  we  should  be  so  sad  because  they 
go.  If  they  had  been  called  to  some  position  of  earthly 
joy  and  honor  we  should  all  have  been  greatly  de- 
lighted. But  it  is  to  a  much  greater  honor  and  joy 
that  they  have  been  called.  They  have  no  pain  or  sor- 
row, or  care  or  trials.  They  are  at  home  with  the  Sav- 
ior.   They  see  the  King  in  his  beauty.    It  was  not  long 


Letters  143 

before  Brother  Charlie  went  that  he  said  you  were  all 
with  him  in  the  room — David,  father,  and  all.  We 
shall  all  be  together  soon.     .     .     . 

"Yes,  I  would  love  to  be  with  you  and  stay  a  long,, 
long  time,  but  I  am  here,  far  away ;  still  my  heart  is  not 
far  from  you.  I  love  you  as  tenderly  as  ever,  yea,  more 
than  ever  before.  I  pray  for  you  every  day.  We  often 
talk  of  you  in  our  little  family.  Of  course,  it  is  a 
great  trial  for  me  to  be  so  far  away  from  you  in  these 
sorrows;  but  distance  is  nothing  with  God.  He  is 
everywhere,  and  we  can  pray  to  him  and  love  each 
other  as  if  we  were  together.  I  hope  to  see  you  again 
in  the  flesh,  but  I  do  not  know  when.  I  hope  you  will 
cultivate  a  hopeful  and  cheerful  spirit.  Excessive 
grief  cannot  help  you  or  us.  God  will  bring  us  to- 
gether again.  .  .  .  May  the  God  of  all  comfort  be 
with  you  and  keep  you. 

"Your  affectionate  son, 

"J.  W.  Hott." 

Here  is  a  part  of  a  beautiful  Christmas  letter : 

"Dayton,  Ohio,  December  22,  1897. 

"Darling  Mother:  Have  I  not  told  you  that  your 
dear  good  Christmas  letter  came  promptly  to  us  ?  Well, 
it  did,  and  in  it  the  check  for  Christmas  present  to 
us.  How  can  I  thank  you  as  I  ought?  Not  in  all  my 
life  has  my  heart  been  more  touched  to  tenderness  and 
love  than  by  this  entirely  unexpected  remembrance  in 
so  handsome  a  sum;  and  the  joy  was  the  greater  that 
you  were  thoughtful  enough  to  say  that  you  had  been 
able  alike  to  remember  all  those  so  dear  to  us.  And 
now  Martha  joins  me  in  sincerest  thanks  to  you  and 
many  a  loving  wish  for  you  a  happy  Ctmstmas.  We 
shall  always  remember  your  loving  gift  with  highest 
appreciation  and  love.  .  .  .  There  will  be  sent  you 
from  Dayton  a  solid  silver  spoon  as  a  little  Christmas 


144    Life,  and  Career  of  James   William  Hott 

present,  with  this  request  that  if  you  like  it  you  use  it 
every  meal.  .  .  .  Give  my  love  to  all  the  dear  ones 
there.  My  dear  mother,  how  I  do  wish  you  could  be 
here  with  us  during  this  cold  weather.  We  never  had 
so  comfortable  a  home  in  all  our  lives,  and  never  so 
few  to  enjoy  it  with  us.  You  may  not  have  thought 
that  we  are  getting  old  and  have  none  of  our  children 
with  us. 

"Here  is  a  big  heartful  of  love  to  you  all. 

"Your  loving  son, 

"Jimmie." 

This  is  a  letter  written  to  his  mother  after  receiving 
one  from  her  in  regard  to  the  death  of  Mrs.  Hott  a 
short  time  before : 

"Dayton,  Ohio,  August  23,  1899. 

"My  Darling  Mother:  You  loving  letter  came  to 
me  yesterday.  Many  thanks  to  you  for  it.  Yes,  yes, 
I  know  how  your  great  loving  heart  has  been  broken 
for  us  all  here. 

"There  is  so  much  about  all  the  sweet,  sad  past  of 
which  I  would  love  to  write  you.  In  truth,  I  am  too 
broken  down  to  write  you  at  all.  This  fall,  late,  I  hope 
to  see  you.  How  I  am  to  live  I  cannot  plan.  When  I 
think  how  you  have  walked  alone  these  fifteen  years  I 
ought  not  to  complain  that  I  am  asked  to  follow  in  the 
same  steps  a  few  short  years;  then  we  shall  be  to- 
gether again.  We  have  so  many  things  for  which  we 
ought  to  be  thankful.  Not  the  least  in  our  comfort  is 
the  fact  that  for  two  years  God  gave  it  to  me  to  care 
for  her  here  under  such  favorable  surroundings.  I  dare 
to  say  that  no  one  could  be  more  tenderly  cared  for 
than  was  she.  Her  life  was,  for  the  last  two  years,  a 
beautiful  going  down  of  the  sun.  ...  I  start  in 
for  a  three  months'  tour  of  conferences  to-morrow.  I 
will  write  you  as  often  as  I  can.    Though  I  am  in  sor- 


Letters  145 

row,  I  am  not  cast  down.  My  hope  is  in  the  Father  of 
us  all,  and  he  sustains  me.  He  has  held  me  up  through 
these  months  past,  and  will  do  so  in  the  future,  I  am 
sure.  I  can  do  no  better  than  to  trust  him,  and  I  do. 
May  the  God  of  peace  and  love  keep  you  always. 

"Your  loving  son, 

"JlMMIE." 

There  are  two  letters  written  only  a  short  time  prior 
to  his  death.  The  first  one  is  not  dated,  though  plainly 
written  in  the  last  stages  of  his  sickness,  and  the  other 
one,  while  written  December  3,  was  not  mailed  till 
after  his  death.  They  both  bear  evidence  of  a  loyal 
and  noble  son,  whose  devotion  to  his  mother  remained 
with  him  to  the  end  as  one  of  the  most  distinct  traits 
of  his  character.    These  last  letters  follow: 

"My  Dear  Mother  :  It  has  been  weeks  since  I  have 
written  a  line  to  any  one.  Now  I  will  try  to  pencil 
you  a  few  lines,  if  only  a  few.  I  am  too  weak  andV 
nervous  to  write  long  at  a  time.  I  have  now  been  shut 
in  my  room  five  weeks,  and  have  suffered  much.  I  do 
not  think  any  one  could  have  been  cared  for  better.  I 
spend  most  of  my  time  in  bed.  Walk  about  the  room 
and  hall  for  five  minutes  at  a  time.  .  .  .  Am  very 
weak. 

"The  above  writing  represents  two  efforts.  I  never 
loved  you  as  much  as  I  do  now.  God  is  good  and  al- 
ways has  been.  I  thank  you  for  all  your  sweet  love  to 
me,  in  all  the  past  and  now.  I  doubt  if  the  doctors 
know  what  is  the  matter  with  me.  If  so,  they  do  not 
tell  me.  If  I  am  to  get  well,  it  will  take  a  long  time ; 
so  it  seems.  I  am  some  stronger  than  I  was  a  few  days 
ago.  How  it  will  go  with  me  the  dear  Lord  knows  and 
keeps  in  his  secrets.  I  have  all  my  conferences  planned 
for,  so  that  I  have  peace  of  mind.  Oh,  it  is  so  hard  to 
stay  here  and  suffer  and  wait  when  there  is  so  much 

10 


146    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Ilott 

to  do.  But  I  leave  that  all  with  the  Lord.  ...  I 
ought  not  write  so  much  about  myself,  only  I  know 
how  anxious  you  are  to  know  about  me.  I  do  not  know 
how  all  this  is  to  go  with  me.  I  have  been  looking  the 
future,  and  the  crossing  to  it,  openly  in  the  face  for 
weeks.  I  only  feel  assured  that  in  any  event  the  loving 
Lord  will  not  forsake  me.  There  are  many  more  that 
we  love  over  there  than  here,  and  soon  we  shall  all  be 
home.  How  I  long  to  see  you !  I  love  you  with  all  my 
heart.  I  must  close  this.  God  bless  you  all. 
"In  undying  love,  Your  son, 

"J.  W.  Hott." 

"Dayton,  Ohio,  December  3,  1901. 

"Dear  Mother:  Your  letter  of  love  came  duly  to 
me.  I  thank  you  for  all  it  contains.  I  would  love  to 
see  you  once  more.  This,  it  seems,  cannot  be.  I  often 
think  of  you  and  long  for  your  welfare.  I  would  love 
to  be  a  comfort  to  you  and  all  in  these  last  days.  I 
know  I  am  a  source  of  great  anxiety  to  you  and  all  my 
kindred.  Suda  wrote  me  a  dear  good  letter,  which  came 
two  days  ago.  How  I  would  love  to  see  her  and  you 
all  in  the  old-time  joy  and  health  and  love.  I  thank 
you  all  for  all  your  sweet  love,  and  long  to  be  forgiven 
for  all  the  sorrow  and  pains  and  anguish  I  have  brought 
to  you.  I  shall  not  see  you  all  again,  but  no  doubt  will 
carry  memories  of  you  with  me  forever.  The  full 
meaning  of  this  I  cannot  comprehend  now.  This  is  a 
poor  letter,  but  it  seems  all  that  I  can  produce  now.  I 
love  you  all  as  ever.  I  could  only  wish  that  your  days 
might  be  full  of  blessing  and  sunshine.  I  remain, 
"Your  most  unworthy  son, 

"J.  W.  Hott." 

"P.  S.  The  last  six  months  have  so  changed  me  that 
I  could  not  write  to  you,  though  I  longed  to  be  able  to 
do  so.    This  is  a  poor  letter,  and  perhaps  ought  not  to 


Letters  147 

be  written  or  sent,  but  this  much  it  will  tell  you,  that 
you  are  always  remembered  by  me.  You  know  that 
we  are  in  great  sorrow,  and  my  condition  is  not  un- 
derstood by  my  people,  nor  by  the  Church,  and  cannot 
be.  It  is  a  great  mystery  to  myself — the  mystery  of 
all  mysteries.  I  think  of  Suda  and  Jimmie  and  their 
children  with  great  tenderness  and  love.  How  un- 
worthy the  love  she  bears  me  I  am!  I  long  that  your 
days  on  earth  may  end  with  better  conditions  than  my 
own.  I  have  many  things  I  would  like  to  say,  but  can- 
not write  them,  nor  would  they  profit  us  if  said. 
"From  your  oldest  son, 

"J.   W.   HOTT." 

These  two  letters,  containing  the  last  messages  of  the 
bishop  to  loved  ones,  are  characteristic.  They  show 
his  thought  and  care  of  others.  Suda  is  his  sister  and 
Jimmie  his  brother-in-law,  who  live  with  and  care  for 
his  mother. 

The  following  letter  contains  an  expression  of  ap- 
preciation, whether  deserved  or  not,  that  shows  Bishop 
Hott  was  not  a  believer  in  exclusive  posthumous  com- 
mendation : 

"London,  England,  September  12,  1881. 

"My  Dear  Brother  Drury:  The  Telescope  of  Au- 
gust 31  is  here  to-day — just  two  weeks  after  you  put  it 
to  the  press.  Well  done!  You  have  made  a  good  and 
interesting  and  judiciously  arranged  paper.  I  could 
not  wish  it  better.  Before  this  time  you  have  received 
something  from  me.  I  sent  you  a  letter  on  the  confer- 
ence last  week  and  will  send  you  more.  .  .  .  How 
much  I  should  love  to  see  you  all !  I  imagine  you  are 
real  snug  in  your  improved  quarters.  My  kindest  re- 
gards to  your  family  and  to  any  of  the  dear  friends 
who  ask  after  me,  Your  brother, 

"J.  W.  Hott." 


148    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

In  response  to  a  letter  written  Mr.  Hott  respecting 
the  painful  accident  which  befell  him  as  he  was  coming 
out  of  the  Yosemite  Valley,  there  came  this  letter: 

"Woodbridge,  Cal.,  June  17,  1887. 

"Rev.  M.  R.  Drury. 

"Dear  Brother  :  Your  kind  letter  came  to  me  a  few 
days  ago.  I  have  not  been  in  a  condition  to  write  any- 
thing for  the  press.  It  has  taken  all  my  time  and  at- 
tention and  strength  to  grapple  with  the  wreck  in  this 
foot  of  mine.  I  never  knew  what  one  member  could  suf- 
fer. God  has  been  wonderfully  good  in  many  ways,  and, 
as  I  can  now  see,  not  least  in  allowing  me  to  reach  the 
home  of  Brother  Statton  and  this  community,  where 
unbounded  sympathy  and  kindness  have  been  about  me 
everywhere,  and  where  I  have  had  the  most  faithful 
attention  of  a  skilled  physician  and  surgeon,  Dr.  Riley. 
Though  I  suffer  severely,  I  get  four  or  five  hours'  sleep 
each  night.  Last  night  I  did  that  well,  at  least,  with- 
out anything  to  induce  sleep.  The  swelling  has  largely 
subsided,  the  bruises  have  been  healed,  and  the  broken 
bones  are  evidently  joining  together  properly.  In  a  few 
weeks,  at  most,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  start  homeward. 

"Yours  as  ever, 

"J.  W.  Hott/' 

A  letter  of  sympathy,  written  the  bishop  after  the 
death  of  his  cherished  brother,  the  Rev.  C.  M.  Hott, 
brought  this  response: 

"WOODBRIDGE,   CALIFORNIA,   July   23,    1890. 

"Rev.  M.  R.  Drury. 

"Dear  Brother:  Your  kind  letter  of  condolence 
came  to  me  some  days  ago.  I  assure  you  every  token 
of  remembrance  by  those  with  whom  I  have  labored  in 


Letters  149 

other  and  happier  years,  comes  to  us  with  tenderest 
thankfulness.  God  has  given  us  to  walk  in  deep  soli- 
tude and  overwhelming  sorrow.  A  few  months  ago  we 
were  very  happy  here.  Charlie  was  a  good,  unselfish, 
broad-minded  counselor.  Then,  he  was  so  strong  in 
the  pulpit,  and  devout  in  spirit  and  life,  that  he  made  a 
tower  of  strength  here  for  us  that  gave  me  good  cour- 
age for  the  work.  What  a  hold  he  had  on  the  people! 
Now  he  lies  out  in  the  cemetery,  and  has  no  voice  to 
speak.  No,  I  must  think  differently.  He  'hath  ob- 
tained a  better  inheritance.'  .  .  .  You  see,  we  are 
needing  some  strong  men  here.  We  are  so  much  in 
need  of  a  few  commanding  men.  I  mean  men  of  com- 
manding influence  and  character.  This  morning  I 
went  down  to  the  parsonage,  and  somehow  my  heart 
grew  homesick  and  I  heart-sick.  I  would  love  to  see 
you  and  have  a  long  talk  with  you.  I  often  wonder 
when  and  where  we  shall  meet  again.  You  cannot 
imagine  that  I  have  forgotten  the  years  of  our  mutual 
toil  together.  If  I  had  them  to  go  over  again  I  would 
try  to  make  them  sweeter  and  better  to  those  with  whom 
I  toiled,  and  more  Christian  and  spiritual  to  myself. 
As  it  was,  I  tried  to  do  the  best  I  could.  Doubtless 
you  understand  that.  I  have  often  felt  that  I  wanted 
to  tell  you  many  things  which  I  thought  and  felt  in  the 
way  of  appreciation,  but  lacked  opportunity.  I  pre- 
sume many  things  must  remain  unspoken  till  we  are 
clothed  upon  of  immortality.  I  wonder  after  all  what 
we  do  carry  of  earth  and  of  earth's  ties  and  memories 
through  that  mysterious  change  we  call  death.  Re- 
cently I  have  had  great  anxiety  on  that  subject,  re- 
specting much  I  should  like  to  know,  and  seem  to  be 
in  the  dark.  But  Father  knows,  and  we  shall  know 
more  by  and  by.  Till  then  we  doubtless  do  well  to  hope 
and  wait.     .     . 

"Your  brother, 

"J.  W.  HOTT." 


150    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

Bishop  Hott's  appreciation  of  sympathy  is  indicated 
in  the  following  brief  reply  to  a  letter  written  him  on 
hearing  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Hott : 

"Dayton,  Ohio,  August  14,  1899. 

"Rev.  M.  B.  and  Mrs.  Drury. 

"My  Dear  Brother  and  Sister  Drury:  This  is  to 
thank  you  for  your  loving  and  comforting  letter,  which 
comes  to  us  as  we  walk  in  the  valley  of  a  deep  sorrow. 

"Your  brother, 

"J.  W.  Hott." 

The  letters  of  the  bishop  could  easily  be  extended, 
but  these  are  sufficient  for  present  purposes.  They  are 
typical,  and  serve  to  show  especially  his  great  tender- 
ness of  heart,  sweetness  of  spirit,  and  generosity  of 
soul.  The  utterances  in  these  letters,  which  were  never 
intended  for  the  public,  like  the  little  daily  deeds  of 
life,  are  the  clearest  revelation  of  character  and  the 
surest  criterion  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  na- 
ture within. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Preaching  and  Sermons. 

Whatever  else  Bishop  Hott  was,  he  was  preeminently 
a  preacher — warm-hearted,  thoughtful,  evangelical, 
eloquent.  When  only  a  boy  he  attracted  wide  atten- 
tion as  a  preacher  and  as  an  expounder  of  the  Word 
of  God.  In  1870  he  preached  at  a  camp-meeting  in 
Page  County,  Virginia.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Ben- 
jamin Hensley  heard  him,  and  was  so  impressed  that, 
on  meeting  his  neighbor,  James  Maiden,  he  said  with 
earnestness,  "Jimmie,  I  have  heard  the  man  with  ten 
talents  to-day." 

Mr.  Hott's  zeal  and  power  in  the  pulpit  early  made 
him  the  favorite  and  pride  of  his  conference  and  of 
the  churches  he  served.  The  new  demands  upon  him 
from  time  to  time,  through  the  several  degrees  of  his 
advancement,  seemed  to  call  out  not  only  more  preach- 
ing force,  but  more  organizing  and  guiding  power  as 
well.  His  preaching  was  uniformly  of  the  cheerful, 
soulful  type.  In  this  may  be  found  one  of  the  chief 
secrets  of  his  superior  power  in  the  pulpit  and  on  the 
platform.  In  the  days  of  his  pastoral  labors  he  was 
especially  successful  in  work  among  young  people. 
His  active  sympathy  with  evangelistic  work  caused 
him  to  devote  his  energies  largely  to  winning  souls,  a 
work  in  which  he  met  with  marked  success. 

The  statistics  of  his  conference  during  the  period  of 
his  work  in  it  are  so  very  meager  that  it  is  impossible 
to  ascertain  with  definiteness  the  results  of  his  labors; 
but  from  the  records  for  a  few  years,  and  from  reason- 
able estimates  for  the  remainder  of  the  time,  it  is  prob- 

151 


152    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Holt 

able  that  about  one  thousand  people  were  converted 
under  his  pastoral  ministry,  most  of  whom  were  re- 
ceived into  the  Church. 

In  revival  meetings  Mr.  Hott  was  characterized  by- 
tremendous  earnestness  and  loving  tact,  both  in  the 
pulpit  and  in  personal  work.  He  easily  forgot  all 
formality  and  aimed  at  practical  results. 

He  had  a  good  preaching  voice.  It  was  strong  and 
ofttimes  musical.  There  were  many  times,  in  great 
churches  and  convention  halls,  or  in  meetings  in  the 
open  air,  when  his  voice  rang  out  with  extraordinary 
volume  and  power.  He  likewise  had  a  winsome 
manner. 

There  were  two  elements  that  entered  largely  into 
his  preaching:  In  the  first  place,  the  proclamation  of 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  was  a  personal  joy  to  him, 
and  was  ever  and  everywhere  a  bell  summoning  stray- 
ing sheep  back  to  the  fold.  In  the  second  place,  his 
preaching  abounded  in  those  qualities  which  afford 
comfort  and  encouragement  to  the  struggling  and  sor- 
rowful. He  preached  the  gospel  of  good  cheer,  and 
that  with  all  his  heart;  hence  he  rarely  failed  to  win 
and  hold  the  attention  of  his  hearers.  This  was  not 
due  alone  to  his  pleasing  pulpit  address,  though  that 
was  markedly  attractive.  His  preaching  was  strong, 
both  in  thought  and  in  the  simplicity  and  force  of  his 
language.  He  had  that  peculiar  and  almost  indefinable 
gift  of  recognizing  manhood  in  his  hearers.  He  had  a 
deep  and  abiding  conviction  that  only  so  far  as  man  is 
in  Christ  and  like  Christ  can  he  attain  to  the  standard 
which  the  Creator — Redeemer — would  have  him  reach. 
This  made  him  a  mighty  preacher  of  the  essential  gos- 
pel; for  he  believed,  without  the  least  misgiving,  that 
the  Christianity  of  the  Bible  is  the  only  gospel  worth 
preaching  in  the  highways  and  hedges  of  humanity, 
because  it  alone  is  the  one  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion for  all  who  will  accept  it. 


Preaching  and  Sermons  153 

The  preaching  of  Bishop  Hott  did  not  consist  of  in- 
sipid appeals  and  aimless  exhortations  which  leave  no 
permanent  impression.  Rather,  his  sermons  invariably 
had  a  solid  foundation  in  doctrinal  truth,  expressed, 
not  in  the  language  of  the  schools,  but  of  the  English 
Scriptures  and  of  the  common  people.  As  has  always 
been  the  case  with  great  preachers,  so  it  was  with  him, 
his  messages  had  their  root  in  Bible  truth  and  a  deep 
personal  experience  of  the  reality  of  that  truth,  enab- 
ling him  to  speak  with  a  fervor  and  conviction,  which 
sent  the  message  home  with  unerring  precision. 

Then  another  distinct  characteristic  of  his  preach- 
ing was  its  striking  parabolic  form,  resembling  that  of 
the  Master  Preacher,  of  whom  it  is  said,  "Without  a 
parable  spake  he  not  unto  them."  His  vivid  imagina- 
tion and  his  remarkable  aptness  in  drawing  lessons 
from  nature  and  from  the  common  occurrences  of  life, 
enabled  him  to  illustrate  his  sermons  with  the  most 
lifelike  pictures,  which  are  to  the  mind  what  diagrams 
are  to  the  eye.  They  were  the  windows  of  truth  which 
let  in  the  light  and  made  the  message  convincing. 

In  this  connection  it  is  deserving  of  mention  that 
the  preaching  of  Bishop  Hott  had  a  peculiar  charm  for 
young  men.  This  was  a  notable  fact,  and  the  fre- 
quency of  his  calls  to  preach  on  commencement  occa- 
sions, and  to  address  meetings  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  is  ample  proof  of 
this  statement.  That  he  was  thus  popular  with  young 
men  was  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact,  as  previously  re- 
marked,that  he  recognized  the  manhood  of  his  hearers, 
and  this  won  for  him  their  confidence  and  attention. 
He  preached  a  strong,  manly  Christianity,  which,  like 
the  preaching  of  St.  Paul,  abounded  in  the  strongest 
appeals  to  manhood :  "Quit  you  like  men,  be  strong." 
"Endure  hardness  like  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ." 
"Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith."  "So  run  that  ye  may 
obtain." 


154    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

The  preacher  who  thus  respects  the  manhood  of  his 
hearers,  and  does  not  simply  throw  out  to  them  hand- 
fuls  of  "commonplaces  decked  in  baby  words,"  or  who 
does  not  "dilute  the  strength  of  his  message  with  the 
water  of  sentiment  and  namby-pamby  whimperings,"  is 
the  preacher  of  winning  power  and  usefulness.  And 
it  should  never  be  forgotten  that  only  those  who  have 
the  power  to  win  the  young  to  Christ's  service  and  to 
train  them  wisely  therein,  are  deserving  of  special  dis- 
tinction as  leaders  in  the  church  or  as  benefactors  of  the 
race.  The  preacher  or  other  Christian  worker  who  has 
learned  the  secret  of  successfully  working  for  the  life 
and  growth  of  the  young  has  learned  the  secret  of  the 
highest  service  to  the  world,  the  most  far-reaching  and 
permanent  service  to  his  fellow-men.  This  is  the  un- 
mistakable teaching  of  the  centuries,  in  all  human  ex- 
perience, from  the  days  of  Abraham  to  the  present. 

It  is,  therefore,  a  matter  for  devout  gratitude  that 
we  have  in  Bishop  Hott  so  worthy  an  example  of  one 
who  had  the  sanctified  genius  of  so  preaching  the  gos- 
pel to  the  young  as  to  save  them  from  the  guilt  and 
power  of  sin,  and  to  build  them  up  in  holy  character 
and  living. 

The  bishop's  own  ideals  of  preaching  are  suggestively 
given  in  an  article  in  the  Religious  Telescope  of  Octo- 
ber 1,  1891,  entitled  "The  Interesting  Sermon."  In 
this  he  says:  "It  is  a  crime  for  a  sermon  to  be  dull, 
prosy,  and  dry.  An  uninteresting,  sleep-inspiring 
preacher  is  a  criminal.  The  gospel  is  the  most  inter- 
esting theme  that  has  ever  been  handled  by  the  lips  of 
man.  Its  facts  are  the  profoundest  to  awaken  lofty 
thought;  its  range  the  broadest  to  enkindle  and  ex- 
pand the  imagination ;  its  love  the  most  passionate  and 
holy  and  divine  to  stir  the  heart  to  its  profoundest 
depths.  The  calling  of  the  ministry  is  divine,  and 
should  awaken  all  the  powers  and  exercises  of  the 
mind,  heart,  and  body.     Its  relation  to  the  hearer  is  of 


Preaching  and  Sermons  155 

eternal  moment.  Therefore,  for  a  sermon  to  be  unin- 
teresting is  a  crime  against  the  gospel  message,  against 
the  divine  commission  and  the  soul  of  the  hearer, 
against  the  very  spirit  of  the  gospel. 

"Some  sermons  have  too  much  argument  in  them. 
Logic  is  a  cold  study,  and  usually  much  logic  cools  off 
the  sermon.  The  preacher  argues  away  like  a  mechanic 
boring  a  hole  in  a  great  timber  with  a  modern  boring 
machine.  The  logic  is  intended  to  penetrate  the  minds 
of  the  hearers.  The  sermon  is  the  preacher's  logical 
power  and  his  ability  to  bore  his  audience.  True 
preaching  is  declaring,  proclaiming  the  gospel  more 
than  proving  some  theory  which  has  no  saving  efficacy 
in  it.  Now  and  then  a  sermon  on  Christian  evidences 
may  be  well,  indeed;  but  the  gospel  truth  has  been 
proved  ten  thousand  times.  Now  it  wants  preaching — 
warm,  earnest,  heart-felt,  heart-breaking,  heart-inspir- 
ing preaching.     That  kind  is  always  interesting. 

"Some  sermons  are  too  metaphysical  to  interest  peo- 
ple. It  makes  one  shiver  to  hear  a  preacher  announce 
a  good  text  and  then  at  once  to  pour  into  the  people  a 
cold  metaphysical  drizzle  three-fourths  of  an  hour  long. 
To  these  drizzles  we  prefer  a  shower  of  grace.  I  would 
rather  have  an  old-fashioned  storm,  full  of  lightning 
and  thunder,  in  the  pulpit  than  one  of  these  cold  driz- 
zles. 

"Many  a  sermon  is  uninteresting  because  it  is  too 
loosely  prepared.  The  hearer  can  tell  in  the  first  five 
sentences  that  the  preacher  has  made  imperfect  prepa- 
ration. He  has  words  and  stuff  enough  to  make  the 
size  of  a  sermon,  but  too  much  straw  and  chaff  instead 
of  wheat.  The  speaker  lacks  the  warmth  born  of  a  new 
idea.  A  hearer  said  the  other  day,  'I  do  not  think  that 
preacher  has  had  a  new  thought  for  a  year.'  No  doubt 
the  criticism  was  too  severe;  but  platitudes  and  com- 
monplace observations,  monologues  in  the  pulpit,  lack 
the  fire  which  stirs  men's  souls.    Some  one  has  tersely 


156    Life  and  Career  af  James  William  Hott 

and  truthfully  said  that  a  sermon  should  make  the 
hearer  glad,  or  make  him  sad,  or  make  him  mad.  Every 
sermon  is  a  new  thing,  and  it  ought  to  put  old  truths 
in  new  forms. 

"Too  many  sermons  lack  in  interest  because  of  a 
mere  essay  style.  They  lack  division  and  paragraphing 
and  punctuation.  They  are  just  'long-drawn-out-ed- 
ness.'  There  are  no  peaks  of  thought  from  which  you 
look  over  the  valley  and  upon  other  lofty  peaks.  They 
have  the  plane  and  monotony  of  the  desert.  They  are 
like  a  sentence  without  division,  or  capitalization,  or 
punctuation.  They  are  this  way:  'Thenthemariners 
wereafraidandcriedeverymantohisgodandcastforththe 
waresthatwereintheshipintotheseatolightenitofthem 
butjonahwasgonedownintothesidesoftheshipandhelay 
andwasfastasleep.'  We  want  points  in  the  pulpit,  not 
smart  things.  There  is  nothing  more  disgusting  than 
a  cheap  witicism  in  a  sermon.  It  makes  a  man  weary 
and  heart-sick  to  hear  a  preacher,  instead  of  preaching 
the  great  inspiring  truth  of  God,  trying  to  be  smart, 
and  to  say  smart  things.  This  cracking  cheap  jokes  in 
the  pulpit  is  most  awful. 

"How  can  the  preacher  make  the  sermon  interesting '? 

"1.  Put  more  warm  Bible  facts  into  it.  Do  not 
merely  use  the  Bible  for  a  text,  but  for  development  and 
illustration  as  well.  The  Bible  is  the  most  interesting 
book  in  the  world.  Its  historic  parts  are  full  of  illus- 
trations for  the  sermon.  They  show  truth  in  the  con- 
crete. They  give  God's  truth  clothed  in  flesh  and  filled 
with  life — the  truth  with  hands  and  feet  and  heart. 
That  is  always  more  interesting  and  impressive  than 
abstract  truth.     .     .     . 

"2.  Many  sermons  would  be  vastly  more  interesting 
if  the  preacher  would  press  the  text  a  little  harder. 
Often  the  preacher  is  hard  pressed  for  a  text,  but  does 
not  in  turn  press  the  text.  There  is  an  old  story  of  a 
man  who  had  four  propositions  in  his  sermon:    (1)  He 


Preaching  and  Sermons  157 

would  come  up  to  his  text;  (2)  he  would  go  round  about 
the  text;  (3)  he  would  pass  through  the  text;  (4)  and 
lastly  he  would  depart  from  his  text.  It  is  very  com- 
mon nowadays  for  preachers  to  preach  from  the  text. 
It  often  discourages  a  hearer  to  have  a  preacher  an- 
nounce a  good  text  and  then  at  once  start  off  on  a  slow 
trot  to  some  place  a  quarter  or  a  half  mile  in  a  north- 
easterly direction  from  the  text.  It  is  better  to  make 
the  context,  that  which  precedes  and  that  which  suc- 
ceeds, two  jaws  of  a  vice  with  which  to  squeeze  the 
text  real  hard.  Many  a  dry  sermon  might  have  warm 
juice  in  it  if  the  preacher  would  just  press  the  text  a 
little  harder. 

"3.  Many  sermons  would  be  greatly  improved  at  the 
last  by  cutting  them  squarely  off.  There  is  great  need 
of  compressing  the  last  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  of 
many  sermons  into  five  minutes.  Oh,  for  a  compressor 
or  curtailer  of  the  sermon!  One-half  of  our  sermons 
are  injured,  if  not  absolutely  spoiled,  by  being  too  long. 
They  are  continued  and  tapered  out  till  they  seem  to 
be  endless.  .  .  .  The  interesting  preacher  can  al- 
ways make  the  sermon  somewhat  pleasing  by  quitting. 

"4.  A  preacher  and  his  sermon  must  be  steeped  in 
prayer.  How  can  the  Holy  Spirit  use  a  sermon  unless 
the  preacher  is  softened  by  prayer?  Before  modern 
homiletics  was  so  well  understood,  generally,  by  our 
preachers,  and  before  we  got  so  precise  in  our  tastes 
about  the  fit  of  our  sermons,  the  giants  of  the  church 
made  much  preparation  in  prayer.  Our  old  preachers 
used  to  kneel  down  and  engage  in  silent  prayer  upon 
entering  the  pulpit.  That  has  gone  out  of  vogue,  I 
believe ;  they  say  it  smacks  of  cant,  and  that  it  is  well 
that  it  is  out  of  use.  Well,  it  may  be  so;  I  am  not 
sure.  .  .  .  Better  praying  would  vastly  improve  our 
preaching.  Oh,  for  God  in  the  sermon,  for  living,  soul- 
stirring,  and  soul-loving  sermons!" 

We  have  here  a  very  clear  indication  of  the  style, 


158    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  llott 

spirit,  and  habits  of  the  writer  in  his  own  varied  and 
powerful  preaching. 

In  1887  Bishop  Hott  preached  the  baccalaureate  at 
the  commencement  of  San  Joaquin  Valley  College,  on 
the  occasion  of  his  first  visit  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  The 
Rev.  I.  K.  Statton,  a  life-long  friend  of  the  bishop, 
then  college  pastor  at  Woodbridge,  says  of  that  ser- 
mon: "It  was  a  masterful  effort  for  freshness  and 
vigor  of  thought,  logical  deductions,  and  heart  power, 
which  won  and  moved  these  staid,  businesslike  Cali- 
fornians  in  such  a  manner  as  they  were  not  used  to." 

At  the  biennial  convention  of  the  Young  People's 
Christian  Union,  held  in  Lebanon,  Pa.,  in  July,  1900, 
the  convention  sermon  was  preached  by  Bishop  Hott, 
and  it  could  not  have  been  better  suited  to  the  occa- 
sion. The  discourse  was  strong,  simple,  and  copiously 
illustrated,  and  made  a  profound  impression.  The 
following  is  the  outline  of  the  sermon  as  found  in  his 
Bible: 

How  Many  Loaves'? 

Text:  "How  many  loaves  have  ye?"  (Matt.  15:  34). 

Introduction.  1.  Healing  miracles  much  empha- 
sized. 2.  Need  to  dwell  upon  feeding.  Preserve  be- 
fore healing.  3.  Twice  fed  the  multitude:  In  the 
early  spring,  soon  after  the  death  of  John  the  Baptist ; 
five  thousand  with  five  loaves  and  two  fishes,  twelve 
basketfuls  remaining;  all  the  Gospels  mention  it. 
Again  in  the  summer,  four  thousand  with  seven  loaves 
and  a  few  fishes.    Matthew  and  Mark  give  it. 

THE   ELEMENTS    IN    MIRACLE. 

I.     His  sympathy  for  the  masses. 

1.  He  anticipates.  Not  appealed  to  as  before,  (a) 
They  had  been  with  Him  three  days — parts  of  two 
nights;  (b)  He  wants  nothing  to  eat. 


Preaching  and  Sermons  159 

II.     Human,  instrumentality  in  supply. 

1.  He  wishes  to  enlist  disciples,  (.a)  Tells  them  of 
his  sympathy,  (b)  Wanted  to  use  them,  (c)  Ap- 
pealed to  them  for  supply. 

2.  He  used  their  scanty  supply,  (a)  Took  it  lov- 
ingly, (b)  Gave  thanks — blessed,  (c)  Had  the  disci- 
ples orderly  distribute,  (d)  Had  the  disciples  gather 
the  fragments.    Such  is  the  story,  blessed. 

LESSONS. 

1.  Jesus  to-day  is  full  of  compassion.  Pictures  of 
Christ  cursing  the  world  are  false. 

2.  He  reveals  himself  to  us  to  enlist  us. 

3.  He  calls  upon  us  for  the  supply  of  the  world's 
needs. 

Loaves.     What?    How  many? 

1.  Sympathy  and  love  like  His,  that  sees  others' 
needs,  and  feels  others'  perils. 

2.  Readiness  to  distribute  like  Jesus,  in  prayer, 
fellowship,  help. 

3.  Faith  to  offer  the  loaves  we  know  are  inadequate. 
Our  resources  fail.  Danger  of  forgetting.  His  former 
use  of  our  meager  supply. 

4.  He  deigns  to  use  our  scanty  lives.  Our  feeble 
prayers,  small  offerings,  silent  tears,  kind  words, 
broken,  humble,  poor,  but  blameless  life.  His  blessings 
make  all  a  supply. 

5.  He  honors  us  in  this  use. 
Conclusion. 

1.  How  many  loaves  have  we? 

2.  Have  we  fully  offered  what  we  have?  A  young 
man  at  Westfield  said,  "I  will  give  myself.  Forsaking 
all  I  take  Him." 

While  Bishop  Hott's  sermons  may  have  lacked  some- 
what in  scholarly  finish,  they  were  ever  characterized 
by  great  vigor  and  freshness.    His  manner  of  preach- 


160    Life  ana  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

ing  was  clearly  his  own,  and  when  at  his  best  he  had 
few  equals.  Few  men,  certainly  few  in  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  have  ever  known  better  how  to  at- 
tract the  eye  and  ear  of  the  public.  His  many  calls 
for  preaching  is  in  evidence  of  this  fact.  He  not  only 
preached  widely  throughout  his  own  denomination,  but 
he  often  filled  the  pulpits  of  otber  churches  with  great 
acceptability.  When  living  on  the  Pacific  Coast  he 
preached  and  lectured  frequently  for  the  Brooklyn 
Presbyterian  Church,  at  Oakland,  California,  of  which 
Dr.  E.  S.  Chapman  was  then  the  pastor.  He  also 
preached  in  the  leading  churches  of  Portland,  Stock- 
ton, Los  Angeles,  and  other  cities.  The  same  was  true 
in  the  East.  Lists  of  the  sermons  preached  in  some  of 
these  places  he  left  in  a  book  devoted  to  such  purposes. 
One  of  these  lists  shows  that  he  preached  thirteen  times 
in  Grace  Methodist  Church,  Dayton,  Ohio.  Another 
shows  that  he  preached  seventeen  times  at  the  Na- 
tional Soldiers'  Home.  He  supplied  the  pulpit  there 
for  some  time  during  the  last  illness  of  Chaplain  Wm. 
Earnshaw,  to  whom  he  was  warmly  attached,  and 
after  his  death  he  was  offered  the  chaplaincy  of  the 
Home,  which  he  declined,  preferring  to  continue  in 
the  service  of  the  Church  of  his  choice  and  love. 

During  one  year,  1878-79,  the  Summit  Street  United 
Brethren  Church,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  was  without  a 
regular  pastor,  the  pulpit  being  supplied  by  J.  W.  Hott 
and  W.  O.  Tobey,  editors  of  the  Religious  Telescope, 
and  S.  M.  Hippard,  agent  of  Union  Biblical  Seminary. 
This  was  at  a  time  when  this  congregation  was  heavily 
in  debt  and  passing  through  a  period  of  peculiar  trials 
and  unrest,  and  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Hott  had  much 
to  do  in  promoting  harmony  and  good  will.  His  ser- 
mons were  marked  by  a  deep  spirituality  and  great 
kindness  of  heart.  In  that  year  the  subjects  of  the 
first  three  sermons  preached  were :  "The  Cross  Made 
of  None  Effect,"  "The  Sinner  Saved,"  and  "Looking 


Preaching  and  Sermons  161 

at  Unseen  Things."    He  was  always  a  favorite  preacher 
in  that  church. 

Bishop  Hott's  sermons  were  sometimes  marvelous 
specimens  of  analysis.  This,  however,  was  not  so  ap- 
parent to  the  hearer,  as  his  skeletons  in  preaching  were 
never  placed  on  exhibition.  In  the  sermon  they  were 
all  clothed  with  flesh  and  filled  with  life,  and  so  had 
proportion  and  comeliness.  A  notable  example  of  his 
power  and  habit  of  analysis  in  preparing  his  sermons 
is  found  in  the  following  outline : 

The  New  Commandment. 

Text :  "A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that 
ye  love  one  another;  even  as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye 
also  love  one  another.  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that 
ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another" 
(John  13:  34,  35). 

Introduction. 

1.  There  are  few  new  things.     In  books,  art,  music. 

2.  Solomon  says,  "No  new  thing"  (Eccl.  1:9). 

3.  Jesus,  as  to  facts  and  teachings,  always  new. 

Illustration :  Supper  scene — among  (a)  ambitions, 
(b)  jealousies,  (c)  denied,  (d)  betrayed.  He  loves  all; 
washes  feet  of  all. 

An  inspiring,  new  program  for  the  world. 

I.  Brotherly  love,  as  the  law  of  Christianity  and  the 
race,  came  from  Jesus  as  a  new  commandment. 

1.  Start  on  text  of  this  last  great  sermon. 

2.  See  I.  John  2 :  8. 

3.  Love  in  the  world  before,  but — 

4.  Jesus  organized  into  law.  Companionship  of 
Jesus  is  law. 

Three  great  principles  sought  mastery. 


162    Jbife  and  Career  of  James   William  Hott 

1.  Power.  Jupiterisrn,  Caesarism,  Imperialism. 
Eome  its  example,  (a)  In  self -perpetuation 
of  God.  (b)  In  control  of  world.  Em- 
perors won  deification  by  blood.  As  in  "Quo 
Vadis."    Acts  of  senate  swayed  by  despotism. 

2.  Wisdom.  Philosophy.  Greece,  its  example. 
Philosophy  came  from  mythology.  Wisdom 
enslaved  power. 

3.  Justice,  law.  (a)  Scene  of  Moses  giving  the 
law.  (b)  World's  first  lesson  in  law.  Juda- 
ism its  example.     Rabbis,  teachers. 

Jesus,  a  solitary  figure. 

Rose  above  all.  With  few  disciples,  mostly  women. 
With  symbols  of  Rome,  Greece,  Judaism  crowding 
Him,  gave  law  of  brotherhood. 

A  new  commandment. 

Fill  all  power,  wisdom,  law,  with  love. 

II.     Manner  of  establishing  this  new  law. 
"I  give  it."    "I"  in  His  teachings. 

1.  Jesus'  relation  to  Roman  power,  (a)  Ignored 
political  methods  wholly.  See  Luke  20 :  25,  "Render." 
(&)  Touched  Roman  instrument  of  death,  the  cross, 
and  made  it  the  symbol  of  love  forever. 

2.  Jesus'  relation  to  philosophy,  wisdom,  (a)  Ig- 
nored all  learned  methods.  Never  philosophizes.  Never 
seeks  truth.  See  John  7: 15,  "How  knoweth,"  etc.  (&) 
Is  all  truth.  Does  not  make  wisdom  the  door  to  his 
kingdom.  Philosophers  did.  They  said,  "None  ad- 
mitted here  but  mathematicians."  He  said,  "Ye  must 
be  born  again." 

3.  Jesus'  relation  to  Hebrew  law  of  justice,  (a) 
Fulfilled.  Of  the  second  table.  One  "honor,"  five  aw- 
ful negatives — kill,  adultery,  steal,  false  witness,  covet. 
(&)  Epitomizes  table.  Matt.  22 :  39,  "Thy  neighbor  as 
thyself."     (c)  Analyzes  and  treats  the  law.     Matt.  5: 


Preaching  and  Sermons  163 

38-48,  "Eye  for  eye,"  etc.  V.  38,  answer,  v.  39.  "Love 
thy  neighbour  and  hate  thine  enemy."  V.  43,  answer, 
vs.  44-48. 

Love,  the  new  commandment  in  His  life. 

1.  He  lived  his  teachings. 

2.  Gave  the  world  himself. 

III.  New  law  in  present,  personal  experience. 

1.  Born  in  true  convert.  "If  we  love  one  another, 
God  abideth  in  us"  (I.  John  4: 12). 

2.  Opens  new  fountain  of  joy  in  heart. 

3.  Reveals  a  new  world  about  us. 

IV.  Test  and  proof  of  discipleship. 

See  I.  Corinthians  13.  Not  (1)  eloquent  profession; 
(2)  wisdom;  (3)  faith;  (4)  benevolence;  (5)  martyr- 
dom;— but  love.    "By  this  shall  men  know." 

V.  Example  of  Jesus  gives  us  the  measure  of  our 
conformity  to  this  law. 

Not  an  inspiration  to  love  as  if  he  had  said,  "Since 
I  loved,"  ye  ought,  but  a  pattern,  type — "Even  as  I 
have  loved  you."  (1)  Unselfishly;  (2)  ceaselessly;  (3) 
to  the  end. 

In  1897  Scioto  Conference  was  held  in  the  old  Dres- 
bach  Church,  near  Circleville,  Ohio,  and  was  presided 
over  by  Bishop  Hott.  This  church  was  built  in  1829. 
Here  the  General  Conference  of  1833  was  held,  pre- 
sided over  by  Bishop  Henry  Kumler,  Sr.  There  were 
but  six  conferences  in  the  entire  Church  then. 
Heistand  and  Brown  were  the  other  bishops.  The 
General  Conference  of  1841,  so  famous  in  our  Church 
history,  also  assembled  in  this  church,  with  twenty- 
three  members,  including  two  bishops.  Here  the  con- 
stitution that  gave  the  Church  so  much  trouble  in  after 
years  was  adopted.  With  these  historic  memories  be- 
fore him,  Bishop  Hott  preached  a  characteristic  and 
timely  sermon,  of  which  the  following  is  a  synopsis: 


164:   Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 
The  Mantle  of  the  Fathers. 

"  'And  he  took  the  mantle  of  Elijah  that  fell  from 
him,  and  smote  the  waters,  and  said,  Where  is  the 
Lord,  the  God  of  Elijah?'  (II.  Kings  2: 14). 

"We  have  been  assembled  three  days  in  this  old 
church  erected  nearly  seventy  years  ago,  in  which  our 
fathers  assembled  in  the  General  Conference  of  1833, 
and  again  in  1841.  These  historic  memories  were  al- 
luded to  at  the  opening  of  our  conference,  yet  I  have 
not  been  able  to  free  myself  from  their  influence,  as 
doubtless  you  have  not.  These  early  ministers  are  not 
here.  'Your  fathers,  where  are  they  ?  and  the  prophets, 
do  they  live  for  ever?'  Elijah's  history  is  well  known 
to  every  Bible  reader.  His  peculiar  life  and  ministry 
are  studied  by  all  in  all  ages.  But  the  time  came 
'when  the  Lord  would  take  up  Elijah  into  heaven  by  a 
whirlwind.'     So  our  fathers  passed  away. 

"Transition  is  the  law  of  life.  The  history  of  our 
own  Church  is  but  a  type  of  all  church  history,  and 
all  the  general  currents  and  circles  of  history.  There 
stands  out  first  the  good  revival  period,  the  era  of  spir- 
itual power,  when  the  Spirit  of  God  moves  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters.  This  is  followed  by  the  period  of 
crystallization,  or  the  effort  to  form  spiritual  conditions 
and  thoughts  into  creed  and  dogma.  Here  our  fathers 
framed  and  adopted  the  constitution  of  the  Church 
and  endeavored  to  fix  the  creed  for  all  time  to  come. 
Then  follows  an  era  of  criticism  and  testing,  of  dogma 
and  new  thought,  and  new  statement  of  thought.  This 
is  followed  again  by  the  larger  spiritual  manifestation 
under  new  and  different  conditions.  We  are  now  to 
expect  a  large  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"One  asks,  naturally,  What  is  the  effect  of  these 
transitions?  Can  the  world  and  the  church  hope  for 
as  much  under  the  life  of  Elisha  as  it  shared  under 
Elijah?     In  another  form  of  statement,  Is  the  world 


Preaching  and  Sermons  165 

changing  for  the  better,  or  for  the  worse?  Respecting 
this  there  are  two  views :  There  is,  first,  the  pessimis- 
tic view.  It  holds  that  the  world  is  growing  worse; 
it  points  to  the  formality  of  the  church,  and  the  world- 
iiness  in  professing  Christians;  at  the  parade  and 
show  of  religious  piety  where  its  real  spirit  is  wanting ; 
at  the  general  greed  for  gain  in  the  world,  and  at  the 
oppression  of  the  poor  by  great  monopolies. 

"Secondly,  the  optimist  claims  that  the  world  is  get- 
ting better.  He  asserts  that  the  church  and  world  have 
higher  religious  ideals,  (which  accounts  for  the  pessi- 
mistic views,)  that  there  is  greater  light  upon  error 
and  sin,  that  there  are  larger  and  better  conceptions 
of  God,  broader  recognition  of  the  brotherhood  of 
man,  more  good  people  in  the  world,  more  servants  of 
mankind  in  true  love,  more  true  love  for  mankind,  bet- 
ter governments  in  the  world,  more  and  better  educa- 
tional, reformatory,  and  humane  institutions,  hun- 
dreds more  of  laborers  in  hospitals  and  prisons,  and 
thousands  of  missionaries  in  heathen  lands,  with  much 
better  appliances  for  Christian  work  in  all  lands. 

"This  discourse  is  not  to  try  directly  to  settle  the 
mind  of  any  one  as  to  these  views.  Probably  we  all 
have  our  own  ideas  of  these  things.  There  are  a  few 
facts  this  text  and  its  surroundings,  as  well  as  all  his- 
tory, teach  us. 

"I.  The  fathers  had  their  Jordan  to  cross.  It  was 
so  with  Elijah.  His  life  was  illustrious.  He  was  now 
on  his  way  to  the  fastnesses  of  the  Moab  mountains, 
where  he  was  to  find  the  station  where  would  halt  the 
chariot  of  fire  and  steeds  of  fire  to  bear  him  up  into 
heaven.  Yet  is  the  old  prophet  confronted  with  the 
Jordan.     Our  fathers  met  their  difficulties. 

"1.  There  were  the  low  standards  of  morals  in  the 
public  mind.  We  are  accustomed  to  hear  persons  sigh 
for  the  good  old  times  long  past,  when  man  thought 
«nd  did  only  good,  and  when  all  things  were  as  they 


166    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hotl 

ought  to  be.  No  one  can  locate  these  good  times.  Go 
back  to  the  times  so  pointed  out  by  those  of  our  day, 
and  way  back  there  is  some  one  with  the  same  spirit 
who  rises  and  calls  for  the  good  old  times.  So  on  and 
on.  Those  good  old  days  are  largely  a  myth.  Take,  for 
illustration,  the  great  temperance  struggle.  When  our 
fathers  here  began  legislation  against  the  traffic  in 
strong  drink,  they  simply  prescribed  that  preachers 
should  not  be  allowed  to  manufacture  and  sell  intoxi- 
cating drinks.  And  did  preachers  do  so?  Yes,  and 
public  sentiment  allowed  preachers  to  do  so,  and  to 
drink  intoxicants.  Then  the  fathers  legislated  against 
the  members  of  the  church  dealing  in  liquors.  This 
was  far  in  advance  of  public  sentiment.  It  was  a  Jor- 
dan which  stood  in  the  way  of  the  fathers,  and  they 
crossed  it. 

"2.  Church  formalism.  We  sometimes  think  our 
fathers  lived  in  saintly  times.  Far  from  it.  Otterbein 
found  himself  chilled  and  opposed  and  criticised,  and 
practically,  though  not  formally,  cast  out  of  an  evan- 
gelical church  because  he  proclaimed  the  religious  ex- 
perience of  a  holy  life.  Boehm  was  confronted  by  the 
same.  George  A.  Guething,  whose  gentleness  and 
sweetness  of  spirit  have  been  handed  down  to  our  day 
in  the  very  nature,  spirit,  and  life  of  his  descendants, 
was  expelled  from  an  orthodox  church  for  his  spiritual 
preaching  and  life.  Formalism  was  a  wide,  deep  Jor- 
dan, which  the  mantles  of  our  fathers  had  to  smite. 

"II.  The  church  of  to-day  has  its  own  Jordans. 
Elisha  must  reach  his  field  of  toil  and  divine  commis- 
sion by  way  of  the  Jordan  crossing.  The  fathers  are 
only  gone  when  the  church  is  confronted  by  new  prob- 
lems. There  are  advances  and  changes  of  society.  The 
church  cannot  stop  them  any  more  than  you  can  blow 
out  the  sun  in  the  morning  as  it  climbs  above  the 
clouds  and  mountains  of  the  East.  There  is  a  progress 
of  the  world;  there  is  a  change  in  the  methods   of 


Preaching  and  Sermons  167 

thought,  and  its  basis  as  well  as  processes  are  not  the 
same  as  in  the  days  of  the  fathers.  Conclusions  of 
thought  have  ripened  into  convictions,  opinions,  and 
faiths  far  from  those  held  by  the  fathers.  There  must 
therefore  be  different  methods  of  reaching  and  saving 
men.  To  these  tasks  let  us  come  with  the  heritage  be- 
queathed by  the  fathers.  When  Elisha  was  left  to  the 
duties  of  a  new  day  he  held  in  his  hands  the  mantle  of 
Elijah. 

"III.     We  have  the  same  helps  our  fathers  had. 

"1.  We  have  the  same  God.  We  walk  in  his  light 
as  the  fathers  did.    All  will  agree  to  this. 

"2.  We  have  the  same  Bible.  Oh,  we  have  some  re- 
visions, and  versions,  and  translations  that  our  fathers 
did  not  have,  but  these  can  only  help  us  the  better  to 
understand  the  Bible. 

"3.  We  have  the  same  Holy  Spirit.  He  is  not  less 
in  the  world  now  than  he  was  then. 

"4.  We  have  the  same  power  of  a  godly  life  that  our 
fathers  had.  These  are  the  saving  powers  God  uses  in 
the  world — the  Bible,  the  Spirit,  the  holy  life;  upon 
these  our  fathers  depended,  and  upon  these  we  shall  al- 
ways depend.  The  one  enforces  the  other.  The.  Bible 
is  the  basis.  The  Spirit  is  the  inward  witness.  To 
these  the  godly  life  bears  witness  to  the  world. 

"Men  may  not  read  the  Bible,  but  they  will  read  us. 
Men  may  not  recognize  or  own  the  Holy  Spirit,  but 
they  will  catch  the  spirit  of  our  lives.  These  abide 
forever. 

"IV.  We  must  take  up  the  mantle  of  our  fathers. 
No  man  has  a  present  power  who  does  not  connect  with 
the  heritage  given  by  the  fathers.  Elijah  promised  a 
double  portion  of  his  spirit  to  Elisha  only  upon  the 
condition  that  he  see  him  when  he  is  taken  away. 
He  who  loses  sight  of  the  ascending  Elijahs  loses  the 
present  spirit  of  God.  Elisha  might  have  pleaded  for 
a  new  and  different  mantle.     The  sheepskin  or  goat- 


168    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

skin  mantle  was  good  enough  for,  and  even  fitted  to 
the  prophet  of  the  wilderness  and  the  mountain  and 
desert  and  the  cave,  but  not  for  him.  His  office  would 
be  in  the  city  of  Samaria,  and  not  in  the  caves  along 
the  brook  Cherith.  He  must  stand  in  high  social  rank, 
and  hence  not  the  old  mantle,  but  a  broadcloth  mantle. 
Not  so  with  Elisha.  He  took  up  the  mantle  which  fell 
from  Elijah.  So  must  we  use  the  Bible.  So  must  we 
bow  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  must  we  show  the  power 
of  the  godly  life.  These  symbolize  to  us  all  power. 
They  smite  every  Jordan.  We  must  use  them  for  our 
times  and  our  Jordans.  To  be  as  wise  and  good  as  our 
fathers  were  we  must  be  wiser  and  better  than  our 
fathers  were.  We  must  bear  their  mantles  with  a  cour- 
age for  our  times,  a  simplicity  for  our  times,  with  the 
spirit  for  our  times.  There  must  be  the  spirit  of  con- 
secration for  our  days  and  our  Jordans.  Our  fathers 
joyed  at  the  promises  of  their  children.  They  expected 
us  to  be  better  than  they.  They  gave  to  us  a  heritage 
of  their  times  with  their  prayers,  and  thought,  and 
hope  for  the  future.  We  shall  lay  our  times  into  the 
lap  of  those  who  are  appointed  to  come  after  us. 

"Here  once  again  were  gathered  the  fathers — the 
Kumlers,  Spayth,  Khinehart,  Hiestand,  Brown,  Erb, 
Eussel,  Edwards,  Glossbrenner,  Davis;  and  here  came 
such  as  Montgomery,  Vandemark,  Hanby,  and  others 
like  unto  them.  They  have  all  crossed  the  last  Jordan. 
By  and  by  we  shall  lay  down  our  mantles  beyond  the 
last  river  and  overtake  the  illustrious  ones  in  that  bet- 
ter country  where  they  have  gathered  and  where  they 
have  entered  into  rest.  May  the  mantles  of  the  fathers 
fall  upon  us,  and  a  double  portion  of  their  spirit  be 
ours.  May  we  take  up  the  mantles  of  the  ascended 
Elijahs  and  with  them  smite  the  waters." 

Bishop  Hott's  conference  sermons  always  had  great 
appropriateness.  They  were  burning  gospel  messages, 
full  of  the  marrow  of  truth  and  inspiration,  and  they 


Preaching  and  Sermons  169 

invariably  found  a  responsive  chord  in  the  hearts  of 
ministers  and  laymen  alike.  Several  specimens  of  ser- 
mons of  this  character  are  preserved  in  the  conference 
minutes,  and  are  models  of  excellence  in  thought,  il- 
lustration, and  language.  These  are  all  worthy  of  pub- 
lication in  permanent  form,  but  the  limits  of  this  vol- 
ume preclude  the  introduction  here  of  more  than  one 
of  these  discourses.  This  one  was  delivered  at  the  Au- 
glaize Conference,  at  Decatur,  Indiana,  in  1897.  It 
was  preached  without  manuscript,  as  the  bishop's  cus- 
tom was,  and  was  secured  by  a  stenographer,  under  the 
direction  of  the  enterprising  conference  secretary,  the 
Rev.  J.  W.  Lower.  The  theme  and  message  are  such 
as  to  make  this  truly  a  typical  conference  sermon. 

"The  Law  and  Motive  of  Christian  Service. 

"'Servants  for  Jesus'  sake'  (II.  Corinthians  4:5). 

"The  whole  of  the  verse  reads :  'For  we  preach  not 
ourselves,  but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord;  and  ourselves 
your  servants  for  Jesus'  sake.'  The  text  suggests  two 
lines  of  observation:  First,  the  great  purpose  of  the 
Christian  life.  No  life  can  attain  to  the  loftiest  plane 
of  a  true  life  which  has  not  a  supreme  purposes — a 
great  aim.  An  aimless  life,  a  life  without  a  purpose, 
must  always  fall  far  short  of  the  possibilities  of  a  God- 
made  man  or  woman.  The  plane  and  purpose  of  a 
Christian  life  in  the  text  is  set  forth  in  two  words, 
'Your  servants' ;  it  sets  forth  therefore  the  ideal  of  the 
Christian  life,  not  only  for  ministers  of  the  gospel  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  other  sincere  followers  of 
Jesus.  This  plan  of  life  is  suggested  to  us  very  readily 
and  naturally  by  the  universal  law  of  ministry  and 
service  which  has  control  and  dominion  over  all  things 
so  far  as  we  know  in  all  worlds.  The  earth  was  made 
for  service  and  abides  in  its  strength  and  glory  through 
the  passing  ages  as  the  servant  of  man.    The  sea,  with 


170    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

its  mighty  deep  and  vast  bosom,  is  one  great  servant 
of  all  about  it.  Every  beast  that  walks  upon  the  face 
of  the  earth,  every  bird  that  tunes  its  notes  to  music- 
sweet,  only  serves.  The  sun  that  shines  far  away  in  the 
heavens  shines  not  for  its  own  glory  and  for  its  own 
adornment,  but  that  it  may  carry  its  benediction 
around  the  globe  and  to  other  worlds;  that  it  may  go 
this  morning  into  every  church,  into  every  home  where 
afflicted  mothers  or  fathers  may  not  find  way  to  the 
sanctuary  of  God ;  that  it  may  scatter  the  darkness  and 
night  of  our  world.  All  those  stars  that  light  the 
heavens  by  night  only  shine  to  serve.  It  were  a  strange 
thing  if  man  were  an  exception  to  this  universal  law, 
were  it  not?  God  himself  exists  to  serve.  I  know 
there  was  an  old  theology  that  we  were  taught,  some 
of  us,  when  we  were  children,  that  God  existed  only 
for  his  own  infinite  glory.  He  is  not  merely  a  great 
egotist.  That  was  the  first  conception  of  God  that  was 
taught  to  some  of  us,  but  that  is  not  the  conception  of 
God  that  Christianity  holds  to-day.  It  is  not  the  true 
conception  of  Jesus  Christ  that  Christianity  gives  to 
the  world.  No !  God  is  love,  and  lives  to  serve,  always 
serves.  God  exists  to-day  to  pour  his  benediction  upon 
every  son  and  daughter  of  the  race.  There  is  some- 
,  where,  I  don't  recall  just  now  where,  a  picture,  painted 
by  a  modern  artist,  of  Christ  just  in  the  act  of  pro- 
nouncing on  the  world  his  curse  for  the  world  having 
rejected  him;  it  is  a  marvelous  painting,  but  there  is 
no  such  Christ ;  there  is  no  such  God ;  it  is  false  to  the 
core. 

"This  life  of  service,  to  the  Christian,  is  very  much 
more  fully  brought  to  us  in  the  divine  commandments. 
In  the  very  first  history  we  have  of  the  race,  God  placed 
Adam  and  Eve  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  to  dress  it  and 
keep  it.  A  long  time  ago  God  said:  'Choose  you  this 
day  whom  ye  will  serve.'  'Love  the  Lord  and  servo 
him.'    'In  honor  serving  one  another.'    That  is  the  New 


Preaching  and  Sermons  171 

Testament  idea.  The  last  final  echo  of  God's  infinite, 
eternal  benediction  is,  'Well  done,  thou  good  and  faith- 
ful servant' ;  that  is  law  and  God,  that  is  Christianity. 
This  is  suggested  to  us  and  enforced  by  the  whole  ex- 
ample of  Jesus  Christ.  The  whole  life  of  Christ  is  a 
life  of  service  from  the  first  to  the  last.  He  never  met 
a  man  with  a  load  on  his  shoulder  that  he  didn't  take 
it  upon  his  own  if  the  man  would  allow  it.  Jesus 
Christ  never  met  a  woman  with  a  great  sorrow  in  her 
heart  that  he  didn't  take  that  sorrow  out  of  her  heart 
and  lay  it  on  his  own  if  she  would  allow  him  to  do  it. 
From  the  morning  of  his  early  life  to  the  last  day,  the 
whole  life  of  Jesus  was  one  of  ministry.  In  reading 
that  marvelous  book,  'Ben  Hur,'  you  surely  do  not  for- 
get where  they  are  starting  with  Ben  Hur  as  a  slave 
through  the  pressing  crowd  to  the  ship  where  he  is  to 
become  a  galley-slave.  As  the  crowds  press  by  him 
there  comes  a  lad,  a  boy  pressing  through  the  crowd 
with  a  cup  of  cold  water.  You  said,  'That  is  Jesus, 
son  of  Mary.'  It  is  a  representation  of  the  Master,  al- 
ways the  life  of  Jesus. 

"Growing  toward  the  close  of  that  life  that  picture 
stands  out  more  and  more  prominent.  In  company 
with  the  disciples  on  the  way  to  Jerusalem,  in  the 
crowd  a  woman  comes;  in  either  hand  she  holds  the 
hand  of  a  darling  boy — two  of  the  disciples  of  Christ. 
She  says  to  the  Master,  'I  want  to  make  a  request  of 
you ;  grant  thou  that  these  my  two  sons  may  sit,  one  on 
thy  right  hand,  and  one  on  thy  left  hand,  in  the  king- 
dom.' He  is  on  his  way  to  Calvary,  and  the  answer 
comes,  'Can  they  drink  of  the  cup  which  I  am  to  drink?' 
They  don't  understand  it  and  they  say,  'We  can,'  and, 
turning  to  them,  he  says,  'You  shall  indeed  drink  of 
the  cup,  but  to  sit  on  my  right  hand  or  my  left  hand  it 
is  not  mine  to  give,  but  it  shall  be  given  to  them  for 
whom  it  is  prepared  of  my  Father.'  And  then  he  goes 
on  to  say:     'Whosoever  will  be  chief  among  you  or 


1 72    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

great  among  you  let  him  be  your  minister.  But  who- 
soever will  be  greatest  among  you  let  him  be  a  bond 
slave;  let  him  be  a  servant  of  all.'  That  is  the  doctrine 
of  Christ.  Go  a  little  further  over  on  the  southwestern 
side  of  the  city,  where  the  Savior  is  with  his  disciples 
before  he  goes  down  to  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  as 
he  goes  over  to  eat  the  passover  with  the  disciples,  to 
the  house  of  some  stranger.  I  wonder  whose  house  it 
was.  I  wish  I  knew.  I  tramped  around  Jerusalem  to 
see  where  he  took  his  last  night's  supper  with  the  dis- 
ciples, and  I  said,  'I  wish  I  knew  where  it  was  that  he 
did  eat  with  the  disciples.'  It  is  the  good  man's  house, 
the  house  of  the  good  man  and  the  Savior  is  in  the 
home  of  'the  good  man  of  the  house,'  and  the  disciples 
are  gathered  about  him  and  there  is  a  dispute  among 
them  as  to  who  shall  be  the  greatest.  He  says  to  them, 
'I,  your  Lord  and  Master,  am  among  you  as  one  who 
serves.'  And  then  he  girded  himself  with  a  towel  and 
took  a  basin  around  to  one  disciple  and  to  another  and 
washed  their  feet  and  then  completed  by  wiping  their 
feet  with  his  own  hands,  and  he  says,  'If  I  your  Lord 
and  Master  do  the  most  menial  things  for  you,  how 
ought  you  not  to  wash  one  another's  feet.'  Oh!  this 
proud  heart  of  mine,  learn  a  lesson  from  my  Lord  and 
Master.  That  is  the  great  lesson  that  it  presents  to  us; 
and  then  I  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  is  the  lesson  that  is 
given  up  so  thoroughly  and  completely  that  we  now 
fully  recognize  it  as  the  great  and  vast  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity. We  may  be  selfish  and  proud,  we  may  want  to 
be  ministers,  but  Jesus  Christ  standing  there  says, 
'The  Son  of  man  comes  not  to  be  ministered  to,  but  to 
minister  and  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many.' 

"Secondly,  the  text  suggests  the  supreme  motive  of 
the  Christian  life. 

"Every  life  must  have  a  great  motive;  every  true 
life  must  have  a  supreme  inspiration.  Many  a  man 
is  a  weak  man  because  he  is  not  an  inspired  man,  be- 


Preaching  and  Sermons  173 

cause  he  has  not  a  motive-propelling  power.  The  apos- 
tle puts  it  here  in  three  words,  Tor  Jesus'  sake.'  That, 
he  says,  is  the  supreme  motive  in  Christian  service;  I 
like  that  theology.  Emerson  said  this,  'If  you  would 
elevate  me  you  must  get  above  me.'  I  think  that  is 
very  plainly  and  simply  said.  If  you  would  elevate  me 
you  must  get  above  me.  If  man  is  out  in  the  dark  he 
is  not  inspired  to  the  plane  of  service;  that  elevation 
and  inspiration  may  be  accomplished— must  be  accom- 
plished outside  and  above  himself.  It  is  the  tragedy  of 
the  cross ;  it  is  the  vision  of  the  face  of  the  Savior ;  it 
is  the  lesson  of  God  Almighty;  the  apostle  puts  it,  'For 
Jesus'  sake.'  That  is  not  for  our  own  aggrandizement, 
not  for  our  own  development ;  that  may  be  a  very  beau- 
tiful motive,  for  we  are  creatures  that  must  cultivate 
ourselves.  Not  for  the  beneficial  purpose  upon  society. 
Great-hearted  philanthropy  is  to  be  commended,  but  it 
is  far  short  of  that  beautiful,  inspiring  motive  which  is 
presented  in  the  words  of  the  apostle,  Tor  the  sake  of 
Jesus';  that  is  to  say,  that  we  do  something  for  some 
one  which  we  would  not  do  for  that  one  except  for  our 
regard  for  another. 

"God  has  shown  us  this  principle.  You  have  read 
how  the  Lord  blessed  the  house  of  the  Egyptian,  Poti- 
phar,  for  Joseph's  sake.  You  remember  how  the  Lord 
blessed  the  house  of  Obed-edom  because  of  the  ark  of 
the  covenant.  Then  act  under  this  great  law  of  sub- 
stitution. A  man  comes  to  your  house  and  he  would 
like  to  be  entertained  by  you.  You  never  saw  him,  but 
you  know  United  Brethren  ministers  to  be  good  people, 
and  you  take  him  in.  A  man  comes  to  your  house 
and  wants  entertainment  over  the  Sabbath.  He 
says,  'Once,  away  back  in  Pennsylvania,  when  I 
was  a  boy,  your  father  and  I  used  to  know  each  other; 
we  were  boys  together;  went  to  school  together.'  You 
take  the  stranger  into  the  house  and  give  him  the  best 
meal  and  bed  you  can  give  him.     Why?    Because  of 


174    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

your  father's  love  and  your  father's  fellowship  with 
him.  He  was  my  father's  friend — it  is  for  father's 
sake.  We  have  one  of  the  most  beautiful  stories  in  all 
literature,  the  story  of  David  and  Jonathan.  Jonathan 
knew  that  David  had  taken  the  kingdom  from  him. 
He  didn't  object,  because  the  Father  had  given  him  it, 
but  he  says,  'Kemember  me  when  you  come  on  your 
throne.'  When  Jonathan  and  Saul  were  slain  in  bat- 
tle David  went  and  gathered  the  bodies  and  buried 
them.  Twenty  long  years  passed,  when  he  removed  his 
throne  up  to  Jerusalem ;  you  remember  the  last  parting 
of  Jonathan — 'When  you  come  on  your  throne  remem- 
ber me.'  David  cast  his  eyes  round  about  him  and 
said,  'Is  there  any  left  yet  of  the  house  of  Saul,  that  I 
may  show  him  kindness  for  the  sake  of  Jonathan  ?'  and 
they  said,  'There  is  one  Ziba,  a  servant  of  the  house  of 
Saul,  that  might  remember  him';  and  they  called  him 
in  and  he  said,  'Are  you  a  servant  of  the  house  of 
Saul?'  and  he  said,  'I  am';  and  David  said,  'Is  there 
any  left  of  the  house  of  Jonathan  or  the  house  of  Saul, 
that  I  may  show  him  favor  for  Jonathan's  sakef  and 
he  said:  'There  is  one,  and  he  was  a  boy  about  two 
years  old  on  the  day  his  father  Jonathan  was  slain  in 
battle.  His  nurse  ran  away  with  him,  let  him  fall,  and 
broke  both  his  feet.  He  is  the  son  of  Jonathan.'  And 
David  said,  'Go  bring  him.'  I  think  I  can  see  Mephibo- 
sheth  crawling  on  his  knees,  and  David  must  have  seen 
something  of  the  likeness  of  his  dear  friend  Jonathan 
as  he  looked  in  his  face.  David  said,  'Let  all  the  pri- 
vate lands  of  Saul  be  given  him,  but  let  him  sit  at  my 
table';  and  as  long  as  David  kept  his  palace  that  crip- 
pled man  sat  at  the  table  of  David  for  Jonathan's  sake. 
You  and  I  were  crippled  in  the  race,  crippled  in  bat- 
tle, crippled  in  the  awful  conflict,  but  to-day  we  sit  at 
the  table  of  our  Lord  and  King,  for  Jesus'  sake. 

"So  we  have  the  application  of  this  great  law.    We 
serve  our  fellow-man  as  we  would  not  serve  our  fellow- 


Preaching  caul  /Sermons  175 

man  save  because  of  our  relation  to  and  regard  for 
Jesus  Christ.  You  have  read  probably  the  story  of  an 
old  monk  who  was  seen  on  his  way  to  a  place  of  worship 
one  morning  with  a  pitcher  of  water  in  one  hand  and 
a  fagot  of  fire  in  the  other.  Some  one  asked  him 
what  he  meant,  and  he  answered,  'With  this  fagot  I 
would  burn  up  heaven,  with  this  water  I  would  put  out 
the  fires  of  hell,  that  I  might  serve  only  for  the  sake  of 
my  blessed  loving  Christ.'  That  is  the  loftiest  con- 
ception of  the  apostle  in  these  words,  'For  Jesus'  sake.' 
"That  is  so,  first,  because  of  what  Jesus  is,  because 
of  what  Jesus  suffered,  and  because  of  what  Jesus 
does.  Because  of  these  things  I  serve  my  fellow-man. 
That  is  the  subjective  form  of  it.  On  the  other  hand, 
in  order  that  there  may  be  the  more  perfect  manifesta- 
tion and  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  world.  There- 
fore I  serve  in  order  that  Christ  be  made  known  to  the 
world.  There  is  a  very  great  desire  upon  the  part  of 
a  man  who  is  a  Christian  that  Christ  shall  be  under- 
stood by  the  world — by  men  by  whom  he  has  never  been 
understood.  I  have  heard  in  the  last  year  of  men  who 
have  been  hardened  under  the  influence  of  evil,  that 
they  have  stood  up  in  great  meetings  and  cursed  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Why?  Because  Christ  was  by 
them  totally  misunderstood.  No  man  who  understands 
Christ,  no  man  who  understands  his  character,  no  man 
who  understands  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  in  his  sober 
senses  can  do  other  than  bless  Christ.  Therefore  the 
longing  of  my  heart  is  that  they  might  know  Jesus.  I 
know  something  of  him.  Years  ago  I  took  my  little 
children, — they  were  just  little  girls  growing  up  like 
olive  plants  about  my  house, — I  took  them  hundreds  of 
miles  over  to  my  own  father's  house  that  they  might 
be  there  two  or  three  months  to  be  with  my  father,  that 
they  might  know  my  father,  that  they  might  learn  my 
father.  They  often  heard  me  tell  sweet  stories  about 
his  life  as  it  touched  my  life  when  I  was  a  little  boy. 


1 76    .Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

I  wanted  those  daughters  of  mine  to  know  what  a  dear 
father  he  was ;  what  a  great  heart  he  had ;  what  a  sweet 
spirit  he  had;  what  he  bore  to  the  world;  what  a  char- 
acter of  sunlight  and  beauty  he  lived.  As  I  think  now 
about  it,  it  is  the  joy  of  my  heart  that  my  own  darling 
children  in  the  home  of  my  father  learned  to  know 
him;  and  afterwards,  when  one  of  them  grew  to  wom- 
anhood she  painted  me  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
life-size  portraits  of  my  father;  she  caught  his  sweet 
spirit  and  life.  I  am  a  thousandfold  more  anxious  that 
those  children  shall  know  Christ.  I  am  a  thousandfold 
more  anxious  that  the  children  all  about  me  shall  know 
Christ  and  understand  his  life  and  character;  that  is 
why  I  serve;  but  for  that,  for  the  service  of  my  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  I  should  to-day  close  this  service,  close 
my  Bible,  and  go  home  and  never  preach  another  ser- 
mon. 

"Second,  in  order  that  this  life  and  character  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  be  reproduced  in  the  world. 
Oh,  that  is  the  one  longing  of  the  heart  of  the  true 
preacher,  that  is  the  one  supreme  longing  of  the  heart 
of  every  true  disciple  of  Christ.  May  I  say  to  you  in 
that  thought  Christianity  is  unlike  every  other  re- 
ligion of  the  world?  Some  of  you  attended  the  Con- 
gress of  Religions  in  Chicago ;  you  must  have  sat  there 
and  heard  those  Hindoo  priests'  beautiful  theories.  I 
heard  one  of  them  preach  regeneration  there,  self- 
regeneration  of  the  soul;  he  said,  'This  is  Hindooism,' 
and  pointing  to  the  sins  of  Christian  nations  said,  'This 
is  Christianity';  I  said,  'How  false  you  are,  how  un- 
true !'  I  am  willing  to  take  and  compare  Hindoo  ideals 
with  Christian  ideals ;  I  am  ready  to  compare  Christian 
ideals  with  all  the  religions  of  the  world.  Christ  never 
said,  'This  is  true  and  that  is  true;  here  is  the  truth'; 
he  said,  'I  am  the  truth ;  judge  my  gospel  by  me.'  That 
is  a  challenge.  Jesus  stood  up  before  every  struggling 
religion  of  the  world  and  said,  'I  am  the  way,  the 


Preaching  and  Sermons  177 

truth,  and  the  life;  no  man  cometh  unto  the  Father 
but  by  me.'  What  Christianity  has  undertaken  to  do 
from  that  day  till  now  is  the  incarnation  of  his  life  in 
the  lives  of  men.  It  is  for  this  cause  that  we  serve, 
and  this  attainment  for  Jesus  is  an  inspiration. 

"What  is  the  result  of  this  long  service  for  Jesus' 
sake?  If  our  life  of  service  as  Christians  is  placed 
under  this  law  of  love  and  is  rendered  for  Jesus'  sake, 
labor  in  the  service  will  be  made  easy.  You  ask  the 
question  very  naturally,  'Is  Christian  service  hard?' 
Yes.  No.  It  depends  altogether  on  how  you  view  it. 
You  ask  that  man  who  loves  his  wife  if  toil  at  the  bank 
or  on  the  farm,  or  toil  here  or  toil  there,  is  hard  for 
him.  He  says:  'Were  you  never  married?  Had  you 
never  a  wife,  and  have  you  no  children  ?'  To  that  man 
whose  heart  is  inspired  by  love  for  a  sweet  home,  whose 
heart  is  inspired  by  love  for  a  dear  wife,  whose  heart  is 
inspired  by  sweet  ministerings  of  little  children  which 
God  has  sent  as  angels  of  light  around  his  home,  to 
that  man  the  labor  of  life  is  easy.  A  great  deal  of  labor 
is  to  be  done  in  the  Christian  service;  there  is  a  great 
deal  of  labor  that  is  not  congenial  to  the  natural  man. 
A  great  many  people  come  into  church  to-day,  about 
the  same  as  a  person  who  is  sick  goes  to  the  hospital; 
they  want  the  preacher  to  come  to  visit  them  once  or 
twice  a  month,  and  if  they  see  him  go  to  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Jones  oftener  than  to  their  own,  then  they  think, 
'I  '11  just  call  for  my  letter.'  May  the  Lord  have  mercy 
on  the  man  and  woman  who  so  construe  the  life  of 
service!  You  ought  to  be  able  in  your  church  rela- 
tions not  only  to  carry  your  own  burdens,  but  those 
of  others.  I  read  a  little  while  ago  a  little  incident.  I 
don't  know  whether  it  was  historically  true,  but  it  was 
in  the  spirit  true.  Some  little  boys  in  a  charity  house 
in  London  were  sitting  around  the  table,  usually  in 
charge  of  a  man.  Sometimes  they  were  alone  at  the 
table,  when  one  of  the  little  boys  invoked  the  blessing. 


178   JLife  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

They  all  bowed  their  heads  and  he  said,  'Lord  Jesus, 
be  thou  with  us  this  night  and  bless  what  thou  hast 
provided.  Amen.'  And  they  all  said,  'Amen.'  One 
little  boy  who  had  often  heard  that  grace  given  before 
said,  'I  wonder  why  Jesus  never  comes  here;  we  often 
ask  him  to  come.'  And  another  little  boy  said,  'I  sup- 
pose the  reason  he  does  not  come  is  because  he  has  not 
any  place.'  Another  little  fellow  said,  'If  that  is  so, 
we  will  make  a  place  for  him,'  and  they  had  another 
place  prepared,  and  then  went  along  eating  their  meal 
and  forgot  what  they  had  done,  when  an  old  laboring 
man,  on  his  way  home,  tired  and  almost  sick,  and 
knowing  the  character  of  the  house,  knocked  at  the 
door  and  asked  if  he  could  get  a  little  something  to 
eat;  and  one  of  the  boys  said,  'I  suppose  Jesus  is  busy 
to-night  and  has  sent  this  man.'  Then  they  said,  'We 
have  been  looking  for  Jesus  and  he  didn't  come,  and 
we  suppose  he  sent  you.'  And  they  had  him  sit  down 
at  the  table  and  eat  their  soup  with  them.  He  repre- 
sented Jesus  to  them.  My  brother,  one  of  you  may 
pick  up  a  little  boy  on  the  street  and  get  him  into  Sab- 
bath school;  he  represents  Jesus.  And  you  may  see 
Jesus  in  that  poor  little  girl  whose  father  is  a  drunkard 
and  whose  mother  has  the  weight  of  a  dozen  lives  on 
her  broken  heart.  All  service  will  be  sweet  that  you  do 
for  the  church  because  of  Christ.  In  all  these  we 
would  see  the  face  of  the  Savior ;  you  say,  'Jesus  repre- 
sents this,'  and  labor  is  easy. 

"When  this  life  of  service  is  put  under  the  law  of 
love  for  Jesus'  sake,  sacrifice  will  be  made  light.  The 
first  law  of  the  Christian  life  is  sacrifice.  Christ  said, 
'If  any  man  will  be  my  disciple  let  him  deny  himself.' 
You  don't  want  self-denial;  you  want  self-aggrandize- 
ment. I  do,  in  my  natural  condition,  but  Jesus  Christ 
put  it  down  in  a  commandment,  and  said,  'If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself.'  It  is  the 
sweetest  path  any  man  ever  tried  to  walk  on — the  walk 


Preaching  and  Sermons  179 

of  self-denial.  You  and  your  wife  have  had  a  little 
disagreement;  you  were  going  to  have  a  friend  spend 
a  week  or  two  with  you,  and  you  were  talking  about  it 
and  which  room  you  would  let  that  person  occupy ;  you 
wanted  him  to  occupy  one  room  and  possibly  your  wife 
wanted  to  give  your  room  up  to  him.  Or  it  was  about 
the  purchase  of  a  suite  of  furniture;  you  wanted  to 
get  one  kind  and  she  wanted  another;  she  wanted  to 
get  one  kind  of  piano  and  you  wanted  another  kind. 
There  was  no  bad  feeling.  You  talk  to  the  children, 
and  get  one  of  the  boys  on  your  side,  and  then  you  get 
another,  and  then  you  get  the  girls,  and  finally  you  get 
all  the  children  on  your  side  as  to  which  room  you 
would  have  and  what  you  would  do,  and  you  set  a  time 
that  you  will  put  it  to  a  vote  in  the  evening,  and  then 
you  will  talk  it  over  and  that  night  you  are  going  to 
settle  it;  and  as  you  begin  to  talk  you  look  into  the 
face  of  your  wife,  and  you  remember  how  loyal  and 
true  she  has  stood  by  you  through  the  long  years  of 
your  life,  and  you  remember  how  she  nursed  you  while 
you  were  sick  and  brought  you  back  to  life  and  health, 
and  you  remember  how  you  buried  your  little  girl,  and 
how  your  heart  was  broken  and  you  had  no  more  cour- 
age, and  she  came  and  kissed  you  and  helped  you  out 
of  your  sorrow  when  your  heart  was  all  broken,  and 
you  think  what  a  broken  reed  you  were.  You  notice 
what  a  slender  frame  she  has  and  what  a  sickly  woman 
she  is,  and  you  know  what  a  great  heart  she  has,  and 
when  she  looks  into  your  eyes  with  eyes  of  love  as  you 
are  just  getting  ready  to  discuss  it,  you  say,  'My  dar- 
ling, you  can  fix  it  just  the  way  you  want  it;  I  would 
like  for  you  to  have  it  just  the  way  you  want  it';  and 
the  children  were  all  on  your  side,  and  they  wondered, 
but  you  were  happy  as  an  angel.  This  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  self-denial.  O  thou  Christ,  thou  perfect  pat- 
tern, teach  us  how  sweet  it  is  to  deny  ourselves! 

"It  i6  more  than  twentv  years  now  since  a  widowed 


180    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

mother  had  two  sons  in  college;  they  were  preparing 
themselves  for  life  work.  She  made  every  sacrifice  and 
saved  every  dime  and  dollar  she  could,  because  she 
wasn't  rich,  and  she  wanted  to  keep  them  in  college. 
One  day  the  news  came  home  in  a  letter  that  the  two 
boys  had  both  resolved  to  give  themselves  to  the  minis- 
try of  the  gospel.  When  that  mother  read  those  lines 
she  had  to  brush  the  tears  out  of  her  eyes,  and  she  said, 
'How  happy  I  am!'  Years  went  on,  and  news  came 
home  that  they  had  both  given  themselves  to  foreign 
missionary  work,  and  would  go  to  a  foreign  field  to 
labor.  That  mother  shed  tears  that  day,  and  she  said, 
'My  boys  in  a  foreign  field!'  She  had  imagined  them 
in  some  fine  church  at  home,  but  the  thought  that  they 
should  go  far  away  into  fields  so  wide,  where  the  night 
was  so  dark — she  couldn't  endure  it.  She  wrote  against 
it,  but  they  wrote  kindly  but  very  firmly;  at  last  she 
just  had  to  give  up.  They  went  down  to  the  steamer 
with  half  a  dozen  more  also  going  to  a  foreign  field. 
She  went  on  board  that  great  steamer,  and  often  kissed 
them,  because  it  would  be  a  long,  long  time  before  she 
would  ever  see  them  again,  but  the  time  was  quickly 
gone  and  she  had  to  go  off  on  the  plank.  She  kissed 
them  again  and  again,  and  the  plank  was  taken  in  and 
she  could  only  signal  to  the  boys  on  the  upper  deck, 
and  by  signal  they  could  recognize  each  other  to  the 
last.  The  old  vessel  began  to  swing  and  the  distance 
between  the  shore  and  the  vessel  to  widen,  and  great 
tears  ran  down  the  boys'  cheeks  as  she  threw  kisses  at 
them.  They  were  passing  farther  and  farther  away, 
until  at  last  their  faces  began  to  mingle  in  the  crowd 
and  she  could  not  tell  them  one  from  another,  and  as 
the  old  vessel  went  out  on  the  mighty  deep  the  mother's 
heart  sank  like  lead  and  she  turned  away  from  the 
vessel  and  laid  her  hand  on  her  heart  and  turned  her 
face  up  to  the  sky  and  said,  'Jesus,  Jesus,  I  give  these 
boys  up  for  thee';  and  as  she  stood  there,  there  came 


Preaching  and  Sermons  181 

into  her  heart  a  peace,  a  light  like  that  of  those  around 
the  throne. 

"The  sweetest  experience  you  and  I  have  ever  had  is 
that  of  giving  up  something  for  Jesus.  It  makes  a  life 
beautiful;  it  ennobles  the  person;  it  gives  sweetness  and 
tenderness  to  our  lives;  it  attaches  others  to  it  in  all 
relations  of  life.  After  all,  there  is  not  anything  that 
draws  us  to  another  like  service.  I  take  my  shoes  off 
my  feet  to  that  woman  who  gives  her  life  to  her  child, 
or  to  the  men  who  gave  their  lives  in  foreign  fields  in 
hard  service,  in  the  gospel  ministry,  in  statesmanship, 
and  in  the  world ;  in  every  place  that  character  of  serv- 
ice rises  above  all  others.  There  is  something  beauti- 
ful in  the  whole  life  of  Jesus ;  there  is  something  beau- 
tiful in  his  teachings;  but  the  one  thing  to-day  that 
gives  Jesus  Christ  the  masterful  character  is  that  he 
died  for  the  world. 

"May  God  grant  that  your  life  and  mine  may  be 
wrought  out  into  the  beautiful  and  blessed  inspiration 
of  these  words,  Tor  Jesus'  sake.' " 

Bishop  Hott's  last  sermon  was  preached  in  the  Oak 
Street  United  Brethren  Church,  Dayton,  Ohio.  Text, 
Colossians  1 :  18.  The  theme  was,  "Christ  Our  Head." 
The  analysis  was  clear  and  the  conclusion  most  practi- 
cal and  earnest,  a  plea  to  the  church  to  be  unswerving 
in  fidelity  to  Jesus  our  loving  Head.  While  the  sermon 
had  strong  elements,  it,  however,  lacked  in  his  old- 
time  warmth,  ability,  and  enthusiasm.  The  last  ser- 
mon he  attempted  to  prepare  was  on  that  immortal 
text,  John  3 :  16.  Thus  his  mind  to  the  last  held  firmly 
to  these  great  central  themes  of  the  gospel.  In  Christ 
alone  he  trusted  and  in  him  he  had  a  sure  and  stead- 
fast hope  "entering  into  that  which  is  within  the  veil." 

The  sources  of  his  power  as  a  preacher  were  his  sim- 
ple faith  in  God  and  his  clear  insight  into  spiritual 
realities.  He  lived  with  God,  and  his  ministry  was 
God-honored.    Though  dead  he  yet  speaketh. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Domestic  and  Social  Life. 

Nowhere  was  Bishop  Hott  more  at  home  than  when 
at  home.  His  home  was  his  citadel.  It  was  his  joy 
and  his  comfort.  Here  all  care  was  laid  aside,  and  he 
entered  with  all  his  earnest  soul  into  the  life  of  his  wife 
and  children.  He  never  carried  life's  shadows  and 
burdens  across  the  threshold  of  his  home.  Light  and 
brightness  filled  the  whole  horizon  of  his  domestic  life. 

He  greatly  enjoyed  being  with  his  family,  joining 
with  them  in  conversation,  singing,  and  reading.  His 
sunny  hopefulness  and  playful  humor  made  him  most 
companionable  in  all  these  things.  The  last  time  his 
voice  rose  in  song  was  a  few  weeks  before  his  death. 
His  daughter,  Mrs.  Huber,  sang  for  him  with  the 
piano,  "Rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep."  It  was  one 
of  his  favorite  hymns,  and  he  joined  in  parts  of  it  with 
a  sweet  and  genuine  enthusiasm. 

Notwithstanding  his  exceptionally  busy  life,  he  found 
time  for  mingling  with  his  children.  He  was  their 
favorite  companion,  and  most  loved  and  trusted  coun- 
selor. I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  knew  a  husband  more 
devoted  to  his  wife,  or  a  father  more  affectionate 
toward  his  children  than  was  he ;  and  I  know,  too,  that 
devotion  and  affection  could  hardly  have  been  more 
cordially  reciprocated  than  was  his.  In  their  home, 
love  was  mutual,  a  necessary  condition  to  a  truly  happy 
home. 

It  is  said  that  the  home  of  Spurgeon  could  be  de- 
scribed by  only  one  word — beautiful.  Admitted  as  I 
was  to  the  inner  circle  of  Bishop  Hott's  home  life, 

182 


Bishop  Hott's  Williams-Street  Home,  Dayton,  Ohio. 


Domestic  and  Social  Life  183 

through  a  period  of  years,  I  must  say  that  I  know  of 
no  single  word  that  so  adequately  describes  it.  It  is 
descriptive  not  only  of  the  character  and  relationships 
of  father,  mother,  and  children,  but  of  the  sacred 
place  where  they  dwelt.  The  home  was  beautiful,  not 
the  house  in  which  they  lived  so  much,  but  the  atmos- 
phere, taste,  refinement,  orderly  and  modest  furnish- 
ings, and  supreme  content,  the  things  which  really 
make  an  ideal  home. 

For  one  who  was  away  from  home  so  much,  who 
traveled  so  extensively,  separation  from  his  family  was 
a  great  cross  and  trial.  But  after  a  week,  month,  or 
months  of  absence,  how  joyous  were  the  reunions,  and 
how  sweet  the  renewed  fellowships ! 

Bishop  Hott's  ideals  for  home  life  were  high,  espe- 
cially the  Christian  home.  His  conceptions  of  the  re- 
lations and  privileges  of  parents  and  children  were  of 
the  most  exalted  type.  These  often  found  expression 
in  his  sermons  and  in  his  editorial  and  other  writings. 
Once  writing  of  "The  Home  School,"  after  speaking  of 
other  and  important  educational  agencies,  he  said, 
"There  is  another  school,  mightier  than  these.  It  is 
that  which  is  found  in  every  home."  Then  speaking  of 
the  possibilities  of  home  training  and  usefulness,  he 
urged  that  there  be  great  carefulness  in  at  least  six  es- 
sentials : 

1.  There  ought  to  be  greater  familiarity  between 
parents  and  children  than  there  is  in  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  homes.     The  home  school  is  one  of  love. 

2.  Parents  should  take  more  interest  in  conversa- 
tion upon  subjects  that  interest  the  young. 

3.  Parents  should  always  show  to  their  children 
that  they  expect  them  to  pursue  paths  of  nobleness  in 
life  and  character.  It  is  a  death-blow  when  a  father 
or  mother  tells  a  son  or  daughter  that  he  or  she  is  of 
no  account,  and  will  never  come  to  any  good  end. 

4.  Let  children  be  instructed  more,  and  not  driven 


184    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Jlott 

and  scolded.  It  is  murder  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood to  drive  children  here  and  there  as  cattle  are 
driven. 

5.  Give  the  home  the  light  and  blessing  of  good 
books  and  good  periodical  literature. 

6.  Let  God's  Word  be  read  daily  in  every  home,  and 
its  teachings  be  briefly  commented  upon  in  connection 
with  the  family  worship. 

These  wise  directions  always  found  forceful  illus- 
tration in  the  bishop's  own  home.  His  teaching  in 
these  respects  was  not  a  matter  of  theory  and  precept, 
but  of  practice. 

In  speaking  of  his  happy  home  life,  I  cannot  re- 
frain from  mentioning  the  helpful  experiences  I  have 
had  in  connection  with  family  worship  where  he  was 
the  leader.  Of  course,  his  home  always  had  a  family 
altar.  Here  parents  and  children  daily  and  joyfully 
lifted  their  hearts  to  God  in  devout  prayer.  But  I  have 
reference  to  his  delightful  way  of  conducting  the  fam- 
ily devotions  where  he  lodged  during  conferences,  and 
at  other  times  where  I  have  been  privileged  to  be  with 
him.  His  reading  of  the  Scriptures  was  usually  ac- 
companied with  pointed  and  suggestive  and  instruc- 
tive exposition.  His  pertinent  and  fresh  comments 
were  always  a  means  of  grace.  Then,  his  prayers  were 
likewise  full  of  that  simple,  tender  supplication  which 
always  seemed  to  be  born  of  close  fellowship  with  the 
Master.  While  the  very  tone  and  confidence  of  the 
prayer  were  suggestive  of  gracious  familiarity  with 
him,  there  was  never  the  slightest  irreverence  in  his 
address  to  the  divine  Lord.  I  have  been  greatly  moved 
under  his  public  prayers,  but  some  way  it  always 
seemed  to  me  that  there  was  a  spontaniety  and  beauty 
about  his  prayers  in  the  family  that  gave  them  un- 
usual power.  He  was  even  a  greater  man  in  prayer 
than  he  was  in  preaching.  Many  are  the  families  that 
have  had  a  conscious  lifting  heavenward  by  his  pres- 


Domestic  and  Social  Life  185 

ence  and  prayers  as  they  gathered  about  the  hallowed 
home  altar. 

He  was  noted  for  his  almost  boundless  hospitality. 
It  used  to  be  said  that  he  and  his  wife  took  charge  of 
everybody.  In  this,  reference  was  had  to  their  charac- 
teristic generosity  in  entertaining  people  from  different 
parts  of  the  Church,  especially  those  visiting  the  Pub- 
lishing House.  They  always  had  a  spare  bed,  and  a 
place  about  their  ample  board  for  a  friend  or  a  stranger, 
all  in  keeping  with  the  free  and  hospitable  home  of 
their  early  life.  How  much  in  contrast  this  is  with 
much  of  our  present  life  where  the  scriptural  injunc- 
tion to  practice  hospitality  has  become  almost  a  dead 
letter ! 

In  his  general  social  life  Bishop  Hott  was  rather  a 
unique  character.  His  ease  and  grace  on  all  occasions 
were  notable.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school 
of  manners,  dignified,  but  always  kind  and  courteous. 
His  friendship  and  geniality  were  proverbial.  He 
could  easily  adapt  himself  to  his  surroundings.  If  he 
were  with  the  cultured,  lovers  of  art  and  music,  he  was 
happily  at  home  with  them,  for  his  own  broad  culture 
and  his  keen  sense  of  the  beautiful  in  the  wide  realm 
of  art  made  him  at  once  an  interested  and  sympathetic 
companion.  If  he  were  in  the  gardens,  parks,  or 
mountains,  he  was  at  home  there,  for  he  never  forgot 
the  "native  hills  and  valleys  of  the  Old  Dominion." 

As  it  was  with  Beecher,  so  it  was  with  this  man. 
His  privato  conversations  were  full  of  the  wit  and  wis- 
dom which  marked  his  public  addresses,  and  each  in 
its  own  appropriate  place.  Sometimes  in  private  he 
would  break  out  into  a  discourse  equal  to  any  he  could 
deliver  in  public.  His  mind  was  always  full  until  it 
overflowed  in  this  way,  after  which  he  needed  an  entire 
change  of  thought,  and  took  relief  in  humor  and  harm- 
less nonsense.  Sometimes  his  humor  bubbled  over  on 
going  into  the  home  where  entertained  after  his  great- 


186    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Mott 

est  intellectual  efforts.  His  power  of  unpremeditated 
speech,  both  private  and  public,  was  often  a  surprise  to 
his  friends. 

In  his  travels  Bishop  Hott  had  the  excellent  Chris- 
tian habit  of  conversation  with  strangers — a  habit  well 
suited  to  foster  a  broad  human  sympathy.  Then,  too, 
he  was  very  happy  in  improving  such  impromptu  con- 
versations in  speaking  a  modest  word  for  righteous- 
ness and  the  Righteous  One,  and  that  with  no  air  of 
preaching.  In  this  way,  too,  he  gathered  many  of  his 
best  illustrations  for  preaching. 

Few  men  have  had  so  many  friends  as  this  itinerant 
preacher,  for  few  have  known  so  well  as  he  how  to  im- 
prove opportunities  for  making  and  retaining  them. 
There  was  a  charm  about  his  friendship  which  was  as 
transparent  and  sincere  as  it  was  rare.  His  very  na- 
ture overflowed  with  friendliness,  which  found  glad 
expression  in  innumerable  ways.  He  ever  delighted  to 
show  it  toward  the  needy,  whether  it  was  their  souls, 
minds,  or  bodies  that  were  in  want.  If  it  was  the  soul 
that  was  hungry  and  lost,  he  not  only  knew  how  to  lead 
it  to  salvation,  but  was  never  happier  than  when  en- 
gaged in  this  highest  ministry  of  brotherly  kindness. 
If  the  mind  was  lacking  in  culture  and  power,  and 
there  was  a  thirst  for  these  things,  he  rejoiced  to 
show  the  way  to  the  abundant  fountains  of  supply. 
If  the  body  was  sick  and  suffering,  his  friendship  as- 
sumed a  very  practical  form.  So  in  the  broad  sympa- 
thies of  his  being  and  in  the  serious  activities  of  his 
life  he  was  dominated  by  the  Christlike  spirit  of  friend- 
ship and  helpfulness. 

His  friendship  for  his  friends,  those  to  whom  he  was 
closely  related  by  the  ties  of  blood  and  association,  was 
true  and  steadfast.  He  delighted  in  them,  not  for  what 
he  could  get  from  them,  but  for  what  he  might  con- 
tribute to  their  good  and  joy.  It  is  friendship  of  this 
generous  sort  that  forgets  self  and  finds  the  highest 


Domestic  and  /Social  Life  187 

satisfaction  in  the  happiness  of  others.  He  found  a 
peculiar  delight  in  the  presence  of  his  friends  in  hia 
home,  in  taking  a  walk  or  a  drive  together,  or  in  shar- 
ing with  them  uplifting  thoughts  and  experiences,  or 
the  exquisite  raptures  of  communion  with  nature.  His 
friendship  was  of  this  winsome,  entertaining,  cheerful 
type.  It  had  in  it  also  the  element  of  faithfulness.  A 
friend  who  knew  him  intimately  for  years  says :  "His 
loyalty  to  a  friend  could  never  be  shaken.  Coolness  or 
ingratitude  or  infidelity  on  the  part  of  a  friend 
wounded  him  to  the  core,  but  could  not  change  his  at- 
titude toward  that  friend.  This  was  one  of  the  sur- 
prising excellencies  of  his  character." 

Bishop  Hott's  life  and  character  had  a  remarkably 
bright,  sunny  side.  Wherever  he  went  he  was  a  mes- 
senger of  good  cheer.  He  had  a  merry  heart,  which 
the  wise  proverb-writer  says  "doeth  good  like  a  medi- 
cine." I  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  him  at  any 
time  during  my  long  and  intimate  acquaintance  with 
him,  when  this  quality  seemed  to  be  absent  from  him. 
He  even  knew  how  to  take  a  cheerful  view  of  serious 
things.  He  had  perplexities,  and  met  with  opposition, 
but  he  did  not  let  these  things  "turn"  the  milk  of  hu- 
man kindness  within  him.  He  could  be  cheerful  and 
blithesome  without  being  flippant  or  coarse.  He.  en- 
joyed a  good  story,  and  could  tell  one.  Many  a  time 
have  I  known  him  to  turn  from  his  desk  to  tell  an 
amusing  story,  or  to  speak  of  some  ludicrous  remark 
or  episode,  and  even  when  a  joke  was  told  at  his  ex- 
pense, to  laugh  as  heartily  as  if  some  one  else  had  been 
the  butt  of  it.  No  one  who  ever  heard  him  laugh 
heartily,  as  he  often  did  when  something  especially 
pleased  him,  will  ever  forget  it. 

He  had  a  keen  sense  of  humor.  This  gave  to  his 
writings  a  peculiar  brightness  and  fascination,  to  his 
sermons  and  lectures  not  only  brilliancy,  but  dramatic 
interest  as  well,  and  to  his  social  conversation  a  charm 


188    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  llott 

and  beauty  that  ever  made  it  entertaining  and  pleas- 
ing. In  the  domestic  and  social  circle  and  about  the 
dinner-table  he  was  a  very  prince  among  entertain- 
ers. And,  in  all  his  sallies  of  wit,  in  all  the  stories  he 
told,  in  all  the  riddles  he  propounded,  there  was  never 
the  slightest  approach  to  anything  irreverent  or  un- 
dignified, anything  unworthy  a  gentleman  and  a  Chris- 
tian. To  be  able  to  say  this  in  truth  is  to  be  able  to 
pay  him  one  of  the  highest  of  compliments.  He  was 
one  of  the  cleanest  Christian  men  I  have  ever  known. 
He  was  a  man  whose  personal  purity  in  any  sense  I 
never  heard  called  in  question. 

There  is  a  little  story  which  the  bishop  used  to  tell, 
and  which  he  enjoyed,  though,  in  a  sense,  it  contained 
a  personal  criticism.  It  is  connected  with  the  first  ses- 
sion of  Oregon  Conference  at  which  he  presided,  in 
1889.  The  conference  there  had  been  greatly  reduced 
by  the  withdrawal  of  the  radicals.  Bishop  Castle  was 
present.  In  view  of  the  few  working  members  the 
bishops  constituted  themselves  a  committee  to  exam- 
ine some  of  the  unordained  preachers.  They  submitted 
a  list  of  questions  in  writing.  One  question  was, 
"What  do  you  consider  good  preaching?"  To  this  one 
of  the  members  of  the  class  answered,  "Think  like 
Bishop  Weaver,  place  your  right  hand  to  your  right 
ear  like  Bishop  Castle,  open  your  mouth  like  Bishop 
Hott,  and  holler  like  the  Methodists."  Bishop  Castle 
would  have  refused  the  answer,  but  Bishop  Hott  re- 
plied, "Any  young  man  that  can  answer  a  question  like 
that,  give  him  100  per  cent." 

One  side  of  the  bishop's  many-sidedness  was  surely 
his  magnetic,  generous,  winning  social  side.  This  made 
him  the  center  around  which  the  members  of  his  house- 
hold revolved  in  harmonious  concert  like  the  planets 
about  the  central  sun.  It  made  him  the  joy  of  happy 
children,  and  the  one  object  of  fawning  delight  to  his 
grandchildren,  of  whom  he  had  seven  at  the  time  of 


Domestic  and  Social  Life  189 

his  death.  It  made  him  the  charmed  center  on  which 
all  eyes  were  fixed  in  the  social  circle.  This  social  in- 
stinct and  power  was  one  of  the  gifts  with  which  God 
had  been  pleased  to  endow  him,  a  gift  enriched  and  en- 
larged by  grace,  which  its  possessor  learned  to  use  so 
well  in  the  most  kindly  and  helpful  services  to  fellow- 
men.  The  life  of  our  Lord,  like  this  one,  teaches  us  the 
great  mission  of  social  kindness  as  an  agency  for  doing 
good. 


CHAPTEK  XIII. 
An  Appreciation. 

It  has  well  been  said  that  there  are  men  and  classes 
of  men  that  occupy  positions  above  the  common  herd. 
Such  a  man  was  Bishop  James  W.  Hott.  In  nobility 
and  strength  of  character,  generosity  and  good  sense, 
industry  and  cheerfulness,  he  was  above  the  common 
herd.  For  one  to  write  of  his  manifold  virtues  who 
long  knew  and  admired  him,  is  to  bring  to  his  memory 
a  grateful  tribute  of  appreciation  and  love.  To  have 
thus  known  him  is  to  cherish  and  revere  the  qualities 
of  nobleness  and  worth  which  he  possessed. 

Thus  it  is  that  he  who  has  a  permanent  place  in  the 
esteem  and  affection  of  his  fellowmen  leaves  memorials 
to  his  name  more  enduring  than  monuments  of  brass  or 
stone.  The  expressions  of  appreciation  which  follow 
are  the  testimonials  of  living  tablets  of  this  sort.  They 
are  the  estimates  which  personal  friends  put  upon  the 
worth  and  work  of  a  man  of  towering  influence  as  a 
preacher  and  orator,  editor  and  author,  and  church- 
leader,  after  his  earthly  career  is  finished.  They  like- 
wise represent  the  common  judgment  of  multitudes  of 
others  who  knew  him  well.  This  chapter,  therefore, 
will  be  in  the  nature  of  a  memorial  to  the  life  assured 
of  this  immortality. 

When  Mr.  Hott  was  only  a  young  preacher  in  Vir- 
ginia his  brilliant  and  winning  personality  made  him 
many  friends.  Among  these  was  Ephraim  Keubush, 
who  attended  a  revival  meeting  he  held  in  the  autumn 
of  1863,  in  which  thirty-three  persons  were  converted. 
His  ardent  appreciation  of  the  boy  preacher  was  shown 

190 


Bishop  Hott,  Mother,  Daughter,  and  Granddaughter.  ,,,„ 


An  Appreciation  191 

in  naming  his  first-born  son  for  him — James  Hott.  A 
sister  of  Mrs.  Ruebush  once  said  to  her,  "1  do  not  see 
why  you  gave  the  child  that  name."  After  hearing  Mr. 
Hott  preach,  some  time  after,  her  criticisms  vanished 
and  she  said  apologetically,  "I  understand  now  why 
you  gave  him  that  name." 

Mr.  Hiram  Fries,  a  school  friend  and  childhood  as- 
sociate of  Mi*.  Hott,  says,  "He  had  the  same  indomi- 
table will  and  energy  when  a  boy  that  so  distinguished 
him  in  later  life." 

One  of  the  striking  facts  of  Bishop  Hott's  life  is  that 
the  friends  of  his  early  manhood  were  his  cherished 
friends  through  life.  C.  T.  Stearn  and  A.  M.  Evers, 
who  became  members  of  Virginia  Conference  with  him 
in  1862,  have  both  written  of  their  early  associate  and 
fellow-laborer,  since  his  death,  in  terms  of  warmest 
appreciation. 

Mr.  Stearn  says :  "A  feeling  of  profound  sorrow, 
however  not  unmixed  with  sweetest  pleasure,  comes  to 
me  whenever  I  think  of  my  life-long  friend  and  dear 
brother  who  has  gone  from  us,  and  whose  loving  pres- 
ence will  never  again  greet  us  on  this  side  of  the  mys- 
terious river." 

Mr.  Evers  says :  "Dr.  Hott  and  I  entered  the  minis- 
try about  the  same  time,  and  were  associated  in  church 
work  for  many  years.  I  always  considered  him  tal- 
ented. His  prayers  and  sermons  were  soul-inspiring. 
He  was  self-made  and  scholarly,  and  seems  to  have 
died  too  soon." 

The  Rev.  J.  W.  Howe,  who  knew  Bishop  Hott  from 
his  boyhood,  and  who  was  a  member  of  Virginia  Con- 
ference with  him,  and  a  fellow-worker  there,  once  said 
when  referring  to  the  bishop's  early  life  and  labors, 
"We  had  little  idea  then  that  we  had  among  us  a  man 
of  such  character  and  force  who  would  make  himself 
felt  in  wider  circles." 

Dr.  J.  Dickson,  who  was  for  twenty-four  years  one 


192    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

of  the  honored  bishops  of  the  Church,  and  who  was 
long  and  intimately  acquainted  with  James  W.  Hott 
in  many  relations,  says  of  him :  "Bishop  Hott  was  in 
some  respects  an  extraordinary  man,  and  deserves 
much  credit  for  what  he  made  of  himself  and  the  work 
he  did.  With  his  many  disadvantages  of  early  life  in 
the  way  of  education  he  may  be  called  great;  that  is, 
great  comparatively.  Some-  of  the  great  men  of  the 
world  have  come  up  in  just  that  way.  With  a  good 
foundation,  the  gift  of  nature,  to  build  on,  they  have 
proved  prodigies  of  mental  and  moral  power,  and  have 
been  useful  in  their  generation. 

"My  first  meeting  with  Bishop  Hott  was  at  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  1869.  He  was,  I  suppose,  then 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  the  youngest  member  of 
that  body.  I  do  not  remember  of  any  special  part  he 
took  in  the  deliberations  of  the  conference;  and  that 
showed  good  sense  as  well  as  modesty  on  his  part. 
After  the  following  General  Conference  I  became  more 
intimate  with  him,  officially  as  well  as  otherwise.  I 
heard  his  talks  at  the  annual  conferences  on  the  dif- 
ferent interests  he  represented;  they  were  always 
timely  and  forcible.  I  remember  well  the  first  visit 
he  made  to  Upper  Wabash  Conference.  I  was  sick  and 
could  not  get  out  on  Sunday  morning.  The  meeting 
was  in  the  woods,  and  Hott  was  put  up  to  preach  the 
conference  sermon,  and  I  learned  that  the  people  were 
completely  captivated  with  his  effort.  In  after  years 
when  I  visited  Dayton,  Bishop  Hott's  and  Dr.  Davis's 
were  my  stopping-places.  Bishop  Hott  was  a  very  genial 
man,  no  matter  where  you  met  him.  His  children,  I 
thought,  always  admired  him.  I  am  sure  they  had  great 
reverence  and  respect  for  him,  and  his  was  a  Christian 
home,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word.  That  he  had  his 
failings  is  true, — that  seems  to  be  the  inheritance  of 
all  of  us, — but  that  he  was  a  man  of  ability  and  good, 
withal,  I  think  but  few  who  knew  him  will  question." 


An  Appreciation  193 

D.  A.  Sinclair,  the  general  secretary  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  for 
nearly  thirty  years,  and  who  knew  Bishop*  Hott  well 
during  this  long  period,  especially  in  his  sympathies 
and  work  for  young  men,  bears  this  cordial  testimony : 

"No  words  of  mine  are  adequate  to  express  the  love 
and  high  regard  I  have  had  for  the  late  Bishop  Hott. 
He  was  my  companion  in  travel  across  the  continent, 
and  no  man  could  wish  a  more  helpful,  happy,  and  in- 
spiring associate  to  journey  with.  He  never  failed  to 
give  our  young  men  a  strong,  inspiring  message  when 
he  addressed  our  members.  His  words  always  brought 
hope,  help,  and  health  to  his  hearers." 

Few  men  have  come  nearer  to  the  heart  of  Bishop 
Hott  than  Dr.  George  M.  Mathews,  who  was  for  five 
years  his  pastor,  and  who  was  also  intimate  with  him 
in  other  relations.  The  following  is  his  characteriza- 
tion of  the  man: 

"Bishop  Hott  was  a  self-made  man,  of  great  force  and 
character,  and  of  unusual  power  as  a  leader.  He  was 
recognized,  both  within  and  without  the  denomina- 
tion, as  an  able  preacher,  strong  writer,  efficient  pre- 
siding officer,  and  a  wholesome  counselor.  He  pos- 
sessed great  heart  power,  as  well  as  strong  mental 
endowments.  His  superior  natural  gifts,  enforced  by 
those  acquired  by  life-long,  persistent  study,  put  him 
in  the  class  of  leaders  in  the  denomination.  He  had 
positive  convictions,  which  gave  him  recognized  leader- 
ship. He  was  kind,  amiable,  and  companionable,  al- 
ways drawing  about  him  warm  friends,  and  casting 
sunshine  upon  all  with  whom  he  mingled.  He  was  ag- 
gressive and  progressive,  always  at  the  front  in  every 
movement  and  enterprise  looking  to  the  good  of  the 
Church  and  the  salvation  of  men.  He  had  a  deep  and 
genuine  interest  in  young  people,  which  led  him  gen- 
erously to  support  the  Seminary  and  our  colleges.  He 
was  always  a  friend  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 

13 


194    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Jiolt 

Association,  and  gave  his  full  energies  to  the  support 
of  the  young  people's  movement  of  our  Church.  His 
soul  burned  for  young  men  and  their  life-equipment. 
.  .  .  He  knew  how  to  help  his  pastor  in  all  these 
things,  especially  in  revivals.  I  have  known  him  to 
stand  in  the  pulpit  and  preach  with  great  ability,  self- 
poise,  and  eloquence,  and  the  next  moment  bow  at  the 
altar  with  his  open  Bible,  instructing  penitents  in  the 
way  of  life.  And,  if  strong  men  at  the  altar  were  strug- 
gling in  darkness  and  doubt,  he  would  encircle  them  in 
his  arms,  and  with  melted  heart  and  flowing  tears  ac- 
tually love  them  into  the  kingdom. 

"He  was  an  optimist.  He  was  always  full  of  faith, 
and  hope,  and  sunshine.  He  preached  and  lived  the 
gospel  of  good  cheer.  He  believed  in  God,  and  Christ, 
and  heaven,  and  the  Bible,  and  the  church,  and  the  fu- 
ture life,  with  all  its  glories  and  blessedness." 

In  an  official  capacity  and  as  a  brother  man,  very 
intimate  relations  existed  between  Dr.  W.  J.  Shuey, 
so  long  the  United  Brethren  Publishing  Agent,  and 
Bishop  Hott.  In  his  address  at  the  bishop's  funeral, 
Dr.  Shuey  said : 

"I  never  had  a  brother  after  the  flesh,  but  Brother 
Hott  came  as  nearly  as  the  unreality  could  be.  I  found 
him  in  private  life  a  man  of  pure*  thoughts  and  pure 
words.  I  never  heard  him  utter  an  undignified  word ; 
not  one  unbecoming  sentence  for  a  man  who  was  to  be 
himself  an  example  of  moral  and  spiritual  purity  to 
others,  and  a  teacher  of  righteousness  of  the  highest 
character  known  to  men — a  man  with  a  clean  heart 
and  clean  lips. 

"Bishop  Hott  was  a  man  of  wide  reading,  and  there- 
fore had  larg)  conceptions  of  human  affairs  and  of  the 
world's  needs.  His  yearnings  were  for  the  redemption 
of  the  whole  human  race.  He  was  a  friend  and  com- 
panion of  rare  affection  and  firmness.  He  could  be 
implicitly  trusted.     His  sense  of  honor  was  keen  and 


An  Appreciation  195 

determined.  Gratefulness  for  kindness  shown  him 
was  overflowing.  Among  his  latest  expressions  were 
those  of  thankfulness  to  those  who  ministered  to  his 
needs. 

"When  his  afflictions  came,  my  heart  was  touched, 
and  as  I  often  visited  him  and  conversed  with  him 
from  time  to  time,  even  unto  his  latest  breath,  I  could 
have  wept  my  life  away,  that  he  might  be  spared. 

"He  lived  a  strenuous  life.  I  heard  one  distin- 
guished physician  say  to  him,  when  he  was  lamenting 
the  little  he  had  done  for  men,  'You  have  done  as  much 
in  thirty  years  as  Methuselah  did  in  almost  a  thousand 
years.'  One  year  of  Brother  Hott's  strenuous  life  was 
equal  to  two  of  ordinary  activity.  He  died,  as  we  see 
it,  prematurely.  We  don't  understand  it;  but  he  has 
crowded  into  these  years  an  immense  amount  of  labor 
in  the  Master's  vineyard,  and  eternity  alone  will  re- 
veal the  magnitude  of  his  influence,  of  his  usefulness, 
of  his  effectiveness  in  molding  and  fashioning  the 
minds  and  the  hearts  of  the  men  and  women  with  whom 
he  had  to  do. 

"I  saw  him  breathe  his  last  breath,  and  I  thought  of 
the  little  baby  lines  that  our  mothers  taught  us  when 
they  laid  us  to  rest: 

"  'Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 

I  pray  thee,  Lord,  my  soul  to  keep  ; 

If  I  should  die  before  I  wake. 

I  pray  thee,  Lord,  my  soul  to  take.'  " 

Bishops  Kephart  and  Mills,  associated  with  Bishop 
Hott  in  the  episcopal  office,  attended  the  funeral  of 
their  deceased  brother  and  fellow-servant  in  the  work 
of  the  Church,  speaking  words  of  appreciative  com- 
mendation. Bishop  Kephart  said:  "I  have  known 
Bishop  Hott  for  a  number  of  years,  and  I  have  always 
found  him  to  be  a  warm-hearted,  genial,  open-hearted 
friend,  frank  and  candid,  a  true  friend,  indeed,  one 


196    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

whose  hands  never  tired  in  lending  assistance,  one 
whose  heart  never  grew  cold,  but  always  in  sympathy, 
and  always  in  love,  and  abounding  cheer;  and  he  had 
a  word  of  comfort  to  every  individual." 

Bishop  Mills's  tribute  was  one  of  keen  and  discrim- 
inating analysis  of  his  associate's  salient  and  distin- 
guishing qualities,  of  which  the  following  is  the  out- 
line: 

"First,  his  natural  qualities,  qualities  which  came  by 
heritage  and  environment.  Coming  from  a  noble  an- 
cestry, coming  from  a  lovely  environment  amid  the 
valleys  and  mountains,  it  could  hardly  be  other  than 
it  was.  First,  he  had  a  productive  or  fruitful  mind. 
Second,  he  had  a  large  gift  of  imagination,  seeing 
things  in  their  ideal  relations,  clothed  with  beauty. 
Third,  he  had  a  warm,  generous  heart.  He  loved  his 
family.  He  loved  his  friends.  They  all  had  a  refuge 
in  that  large  heart,  so  warm,  so  generous,  so  full  of 
sympathy  and  love.  Fourth,  he  had  a  large  gift  of 
language,  verbal  expression,  which  enabled  him  to  turn 
his  thoughts,  the  products  of  his  imagination,  the  emo- 
tions of  the  heart,  into  choice  sentences  and  para- 
graphs. Fifth,  his  was  an  enthusiastic  nature;  that 
comes  from  the  South.  Sixth,  he  had  a  large  social 
nature.    Lastly,  he  had  a  very  active  temperament. 

"Second,  his  cultivated  or  acquired  qualities  were, 
first,  knowledge — a  large  and  varied  fund  of  knowl- 
edge; second,  a  beautiful  Christian  character,  adorned 
with  the  graces  of  the  Spirit;  third,  oratorical  habits; 
fourth,  piety,  love  for  God,  love  for  his  fellow-men,  the 
product  of  the  work  of  grace  in  his  own  life;  fifth,  a 
dignified,  courteous  demeanor  in  his  relations  with 
others.  He  had  that  peculiar  dignity  which  we  all  re- 
member so  well  in  our  associations  with  Bishop  Gloss- 
brenner;  with  such  warmth  would  he  shake  hands,  with 
such  courtesy  he  would  meet  or  depart,  all  clothing  in 
a  beautiful  way  the  character  of  the  Christian  gentle- 


An  Appreciation  197 

man.    And,  lastly,  a  vigorous,  strong  faith  in  God,  in 
the  gospel,  and  in  his  own  mission  in  this  life." 

Dr.  W.  M.  Bell,  whose  associations  with  Bishop  Hott 
were  closest  in  connection  with  the  missionary  work  of 
the  Church,  says :  "Bishop  Ilott  leaves  behind  him  in- 
fluences that  he  put  in  motion,  which  a  multitude  of 
hearts  will  feel  for  the  long  years  that  are  to  come. 
He  leaves  behind  him  memories  that  will  be  cherished 
in  numberless  homes,  and  that  will  be  a  blessing  to 
those  whom  he  served  and  helped  in  life."  What 
greater  tribute  than  this,  that  he  is  destined  to  live  in 
the  multitudes  of  those  whom  his  life  has  touched  and 
helped ! 

The  bishop's  old  conference,  the  Virginia,  has  al- 
ways felt  it  had  a  better  right  to  take  pride  in  his  name 
and  achievements  than  any  other.  Long  before  his 
reputation  had  gone  out  through  the  Church,  his  con- 
ference and  people  among  whom  he  labored  with  so 
much  zeal  and  success  had  learned  to  appreciate  his 
superior  gifts,  his  warm  heart,  his  spiritual  earnestness, 
his  intensely  practical  common  sense,  and  his  tender 
sympathies,  those  qualities  which  made  him  a  valued 
friend  and  counselor.  At  the  session  of  his  conference 
held  in  Lacey  Spring,  in  March  following  the  bishop's 
death,  it  was  fitting  that  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Crowell,  con- 
verted under  his  ministry,  should  have  been  asked  to 
prepare  the  tender  memorial  paper  that  was  adopted, 
of  which  the  following  is  the  opening  paragraph: 
"There  are  times  when  we  are  called  upon  to  perform 
duties  that  are  both  painful  and  pleasing.  The  pres- 
ent hour  brings  us  to  such  a  task.  The  thought  that 
our  dear  brother  and  fellow-laborer,  Bishop  Hott,  is 
dead,  almost  overwhelms  us  with  grief;  but  when  our 
thoughts  turn  to  his  noble  Christian  life,  so  full  of 
faith  and  good  works,  and  then  to  the  assurance  that 
while  he  is  absent  from  the  body  he  is  present  with  the 
Lord,  a  stream  of  joy  flows  into  our  sorrow-filled  hearts 


198    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

until  they  overflow  with  praise  and.  thanksgiving.  In 
his  death  our  loss  is  great,  but  to  him  to  die  was  gain." 

The  Board  of  Directors  of  Union  Biblical  Seminary, 
of  which  Bishop  Hott  had  been  a  deeply  interested  and 
valued  member  since  1873,  adopted  the  following  paper 
in  May,  1902,  at  its  first  meeting  after  his  death : 

"Whereas,  The  Board  of  Directors  of  Union  Bibli- 
cal Seminary  has  lost  one  of  its  most  honored  and 
valued  members  during  the  past  year,  in  the  death  of 
Bishop  James  W.  Hott,  D.  D.,  so  long  officially  con- 
nected with  this  institution  in  different  relations,  one 
of  its  most  devoted  friends,  and  a  broad-minded  and 
generous  supporter  of  its  aims  and  work ;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  1.  That,  while  recognizing  the  great  lo3s 
the  Church  has  sustained  in  his  removal  from  our 
counsels  and  fellowship,  we  would  hereby  gratefully 
record  our  profound  appreciation  of  his  distinguished 
character  as  a  man  and  leader  among  us,  and  of  his 
varied  services  in  different  fields,  especially  in  behalf 
of  higher  ministerial  education  in  our  denomination. 

"2.  That  while  we  miss  his  presence  and  counsels, 
we  shall  ever  cherish  with  affectionate  gratitude  the 
memory  of  his  noble  and  useful  life." 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Church-Erection  and 
Missionary  boards,  in  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  in  May,  1902,  the 
following  paper,  prepared  by  Dr.  W.  M.  Weekley,  was 
adopted,  expressing  the  feelings  of  these  bodies,  of 
which  Bishop  Hott  had  been  a  member  for  many  years : 

"Amid  life's  duties,  we  are  called  upon  every  little 
while  to  lay  a  loved  one  away  to  rest,  or  to  pay  a  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  some  one  already  gone  to  the  unseen 
land.  For  this  purpose,  we  pause  a  moment  to-day. 
Bishop  James  W.  Hott,  long  an  active,  honored  mem- 
ber of  these  boards,  quietly  fell  asleep  in  death  on  the 
9th  day  of  last  January,  after  a  lingering  illness  of 
many  months.  Having  been  brought  up  amid  the 
sweet  influences  of  a  Christian  home  and  led  early  to 


An  Appreciation  199 

accept  Christ  as  a  personal  Savior,  he  soon  yielded  to 
the  conviction  that  preaching  the  gospel  was  his  life 
work,  and  while  yet  in  his  teens  entered  actively  upon 
his  chosen  profession.  As  to  his  ability  and  success  as 
a  preacher,  his  adaptation  to  the  work  of  a  pastor,  his 
geniality  as  a  presiding  officer,  his  intense  zeal  as  a 
church  worker,  his  anxious  and  constant  longing  for 
the  prosperity  of  his  Zion,  his  pure  home  life,  we  do 
not  say  anything.  These  things  are  known  to  the 
whole  Church. 

"For  four  years,  from  May,  1897,  to  May,  1901,  he 
was  chairman  of  our  executive  committee,  and  during 
all  this  time  the  most  cordial  relationship  existed  be- 
tween him  and  his  fellow-committeemen.  It  was  never 
too  cold  or  too  hot  for  him  to  attend  our  meetings 
when  the  business  of  the  boards  demanded  considera- 
tion. He  was  never  too  busy  or  too  weary  to  be  pres- 
ent, if  by  so  doing  he  could  aid  in  solving  the  prob- 
lems which  so  often  came  before  that  committee.  While 
he  was  deeply  concerned  in  all  our  work,  and  held 
strong  convictions  as  to  methods  and  measures,  he  was, 
nevertheless,  always  courteous  in  his  treatment  of  his 
colaborers,  and  ever  ready  to  make  concessions  in  mat- 
ters of  judgment  for  the  sake  of  harmony  and  good 
will.  He  was  a  devoted  friend  of  the  Church-Erection 
and  Missionary  societies,  and  always  stood  for  what 
they  represent.  Early  in  the  history  of  the  former  he 
secured  a  number  of  bequests  for  it,  some  of  which 
have  already  materialized.  His  conception  of  mission 
work  was  broad  and  generous,  and  kept  him  in  peculiar 
touch  with  the  great,  onward  march  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ. 

"But  our  fellow-toiler  is  with  us  no  more.  His 
ashes  rest  in  the  beautiful  Woodland  Cemetery,  Dayton, 
Ohio,  by  the  side  of  the  sainted  bishops,  Weaver  and 
Edwards,  and  many  others  who  wrought  so  well  in  the 
Church ;  but  his  soul  rests  with  God.     The  cares  and 


200    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

toils  and  faith-struggles  of  a  busy  life  are  all  over  and 
past. 

"Though  in  heaven,  he  is  still  our  brother,  and  no 
doubt  as  deeply  concerned  in  us  and  for  the  causes  we 
represent  as  he  ever  was  when  with  us  in  his  bodily 
presence.  We  extend  to  his  bereft  family  our  sincer- 
est  sympathy,  and  pray  that  where  the  shadows  have 
fallen  the  light  may  also  shine." 

Iowa  Conference,  at  its  session  in  March,  1902,  whose 
superintendent  Bishop  Hott  was,  held  an  appreciative 
service  in  his  memory,  at  which  a  memorial  paper  by 
the  Rev.  E.  Harper,  who  was  present  at  the  bishop's 
ordination,  at  Boonsboro,  Md.,  in  1864,  was  adopted. 
Other  conferences  where  the  bishop  had  presided,  and 
where  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem,  gave  similar 
expressions  of  their  appreciation  of  his  character  and 
eminent  public  services. 

The  woman's  missionary  work  of  the  Church  had  in 
Bishop  Hott  an  ardent  friend  and  supporter.  After 
his  death  the  Woman's  Evangel  gave  this  grateful  and 
well-merited  tribute:  "The  Woman's  Missionary  As- 
sociation, which  has  received  so  many  kind  ministries 
from  our  much-esteemed  Bishop  Hott,  will  feel  keenly 
his  departure.  He  had  so  long  been  a  resident  of  Day- 
ton, and  for  so  many  years  a  cheerful  toiler  in  the 
United  Brethren  Publishing  House,  after  that  a  habit- 
ual visitor  as  he  met  the  different  boards,  and  kindly 
responded  to  calls  for  consultation  from  us,  that  now 
that  his  voice  is  forever  hushed  there  is  a  loneliness  in 
these  halls  that  is  felt  and  commented  upon  by  those 
remaining.  Because  of  the  burning  summer  heat  many 
a  shock  has  been  gathered  in  early  autumn." 

The  religious  and  secular  press  of  the  country  was 
likewise  generous  in  the  encomiums  accorded  Bishop 
Hott,  only  a  few  of  which  can  find  room  here. 

The  Religious  Telescope  says:  "Words  cannot  ex- 
press our  sense  of  loss  to  the  Church  and  his  district 


An  Appreciation  201 

by  his  premature  death.  lie  fell  in  the  midst  of  his 
usefulness,  in  the  prime  of  his  life;  but  he  has  gone 
from  his  sufferings  to  be  crowned  in  heaven.  He  rests 
in  peace.  Let  his  example  of  ceaseless  and  joyous  toil 
for  the  Master  inspire  us  who  survive  him  to  a  higher 
consecration  and  better  service  for  Christ  and  the 
Church." 

Bishop  Hott  having  been  so  long  the  editor  of  the 
Religious  Telescope,  and  afterwards  one  of  its  most 
popular  contributors,  was  well  known  to  the  religious 
editors  of  the  country.  Their  notices  of  his  death  are, 
therefore,  in  the  nature  of  personal  testimonials  of  his 
widely-recognized  abilities. 

The  Western  Christian  Advocate,  of  Cincinnati, 
says:  "He  was  an  indefatigable  worker,  and  he  aged 
prematurely  under  excessive  burdens  of  toil  and  re- 
sponsibility. In  the  pulpit  and  on  the  platform  he  was 
a  recognized  force,  while  as  a  writer  he  made  a  strong 
impression  on  his  denomination." 

The  editor  of  the  Evangelical,  of  Harrisburg,  Pa., 
Dr.  H.  B.  Hartzler,  testifies:  "Bishop  Hott,  in  charac- 
ter and  service,  was  an  honor  to  the  Church  he  so  faith- 
fully and  effectively  served,  and  his  precious  memory 
is  a  heritage  to  be  long  and  tenderly  cherished.  We 
met  the  departed  bishop  only  once,  but  as  a  fellow- 
editor  we  knew  and  loved  him  as  a  friend  for  many 
years,  and  as  a  friend  we  mourn  his  departure." 

The  Daily  Journal  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  the 
bishop  was  so  well  known,  without  aiming  to  be  in- 
vidious in  comparisons,  expresses  itself  thus :  "Bishop 
Hott  was  a  towering  figure  in  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  He  was  probably  its  best  known  bishop,  and 
also  had  a  wider  acquaintance  among  other  denomina- 
tions than  his  fellow-bishops." 

Dr.  J.  B.  Kanaga,  in  a  "friend's  tribute,"  in  the 
Evangelical  Messenger,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  cordially 
writes:    "The  lately  deceased  Bishop  Hott  was  a  man 


202    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

of  such  broad  and  generous  sympathies  as  to  be  worthy 
of  a  tribute  from  friends  and  brethren  of  other  de- 
nominations. As  a  preacher  he  was  perhaps  more 
widely  known  than  any  other  man  in  his  denomina- 
tion. On  many  great  occasions  other  churches  sought 
his  services  both  for  lectures  and  sermons.  His  polish 
and  eloquence  and  catholic  spirit  made  him  deservedly 
popular." 

The  late  Dr.  William  Beardshear,  one  of  Bishop 
Hott's  most  devoted  friends,  and  whose  strenuous  life 
closed  much  as  the  bishop's  did,  in  response  to  a  re- 
quest for  some  words  for  this  appreciation,  said:  "It 
will  give  me  unfeigned  pleasure  to  write  something  re- 
garding Bishop  Hott.  I  shall  not  be  able  to  do  it  for 
the  next  month  or  so,  as  I  am  just  home  from  a  pro- 
tracted absence,  with  a  good  deal  of  work  on  hand.  Suc- 
cess to  you  in  this  great  and  commendable  undertak- 
ing." But  before  the  opportunity  came  to  write  the 
promised  appreciation  his  own  fatal  illness  came,  and 
the  noble-souled,  broad-minded  Beardshear  had  fin- 
ished his  laborious  career  and  had  gone  to  his  reward 
and  crown. 

These  generous  words  of  appreciation  are  not  with- 
out their  deep  significance.  They  are  the  warm  and 
willing  expressions  of  living  fellow-men  about  a  fellow- 
man  and  a  fellow-toiler,  deceased.  They  tell  of  vir- 
tues recognized,  of  character  and  usefulness  attained, 
and  of  enduring  laurels  won,  as  well  as  of  a  wide  and 
profound  sense  of  loss  felt.  This  is  the  grandest  possi- 
ble monument — that  reared  in  the  affections  and  lives 
of  grateful  men  and  women. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Conclusion. 

The  universal  and  warm  expressions  of  esteem  and 
sorrow  which  the  death  of  Bishop  Hott  called  forth 
from  every  part  of  the  Church,  and  from  without  the 
denomination  as  well,  are  sufficient  to  indicate  some- 
thing of  the  strength  of  his  character,  and  of  his  power 
to  impress  himself  upon  the  lives  and  affections  of  his 
fellow-men.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  few  men,  if  any, 
have  exerted  a  wider  influence  upon  the  progress  of 
the  Church  with  which  he  was  identified  and  its  insti- 
tutions, during  his  public  life,  within  the  past  thirty 
years,  than  did  James  W.  Hott.  During  this  period 
the  Church  of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ  not  only 
doubled  its  membership,  but  its  power  and  efficiency 
were  increased  many  times  over,  as  an  agency  for  the 
intellectual,  moral,  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  world. 
All  the  general  enterprises  and  institutions  which  now 
distinguish  the  denomination  have  grown  from  the 
stage  of  small  things  to  their  present  magnitude  and 
commanding  influence  within  the  generation  of  his 
public  career.  The  mere  statement  of  these  facts  is 
sufficient  to  impress  us  with  our  indebtedness  to  wise, 
courageous,  and  loyal  leaders  for  the  substantial  ad- 
vances of  this  period. 

It  may  be  claimed  by  some  that  others  have  done 
more  to  promote  particular  features  or  departments  of 
the  Church's  life  than  did  this  man,  worthy  as  he  is  of 
recognition:  but  who,  in  a  general  way,  has  given  more 
effective  aid  to  all  the  awressive  movements  of  the 
time  than  did  he?  Who  did  more  to  prepare  the  way 
208 


204    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  llott 

for  the  Church  expansion  that  so  marked  recent  years 
than  did  he?  Who  has  contributed  more  helpfully  to 
the  enlarged  literary  spirit  of  the  denomination  by  the 
contributions  of  his  own  pen  than  he?  Who  has  ex- 
erted a  more  permanent  influence  on  the  thinking  oi 
the  ministry  and  on  the  general  progress  of  the  Church 
and  the  age  than  did  he?  Those  who  have  been  con- 
temporary with  him  in  leadership  and  labor  may  have 
excelled  in  specialization  of  effort  and  achievement, 
but  no  one  surely  exhibited  greater  interest,  a  broader 
sympathy,  or  a  more  capable  helpfulness  in  all  depart- 
ments embraced  in  the  Church's  varied  work. 

But  he  was  more  than  a  broad-minded,  aggressive 
churchman.  His  kinship  with  humanity  was  one  of  his 
marked  characteristics.  This  gave  him  a  ready  and 
strong  grasp  on  world-wide  problems  and  movements 
relating  to  human  progress  and  betterment.  This,  like- 
wise, led  him  into  the  closest  fellowship  with  other  re- 
ligious denominations,  and  to  give  his  active  support 
to  the  great  reform  and  evangelistic  efforts  of  his  day. 
He  did  not  hesitate  to  identify  himself  with  any  "cause 
that  needs  assistance,"  nor  to  oppose  "the  wrongs  that 
need  resistance,"  whether  political  or  ecclesiastical, 
social  or  industrial.  There  was  as  much  versatility  in 
his  relations  with  worthy  causes,  and  his  efforts  on 
their  behalf,  as  there  was  in  his  thinking,  and  speak- 
ing, and  writing.  While  others  wrought  well  in  their 
own  distinctive  spheres,  Bishop  Hott,  as  has  been  said 
of  another,  plowed  and  sowed,  and  lived  to  see  harvest- 
ing in  every  field.  The  life  of  such  a  man,  in  his  coun- 
try or  in  his  church,  is  the  life  of  the  epoch  in  which 
he  has  lived.  The  story  of  a  successful  general  is  the 
story  of  his  successful  campaigns. 

The  history  of  Bishop  Hott  as  it  has  been  sketched 
shows  that  he  was  an  unsparing  worker.  The  aim  has 
been  to  present  him.  not  so  much  as  a  genius  or  hero, 
but  as  a  worker.     He  had  a  marvelous  capacity  for 


Conclusion  205 

work.  He  always  worked  with  remarkable  ease,  and 
yet  with  an  intensity  that  could  not  fail  to  be  a  heavy 
drain  upon  his  vital  forces  of  body,  mind,  and  heart. 
He  did  not  have  a  larg^  or  a  strong  body,  but  his  energy 
scarcely  knew  any  bounds,  so  that  the  amount  of  work 
he  was  able  to  do,  and  do  well,  was  a  marvel  to  all  who 
knew  him. 

He  had  not  the  advantages  of  collegiate  training. 
Entering  the  active  ministry  when  less  than  seventeen 
years  of  age,  his  reading  and  study,  which  gave  him  his 
well-informed  and  well-disciplined  mind,  were  carried 
on  with  scrupulous  diligence  and  persistency  through 
a  period  of  many  years,  while  at  the  same  time  meet- 
ing successfully  his  manifold  duties  in  various  rela- 
tions. He  was  such  a  diligent  student  of  men  and  of 
books  that  early  in  life  he  gained  wide  recognition  for 
his  scholarly  habits  and  attainments.  He  was  an  early 
riser  all  his  life,  using  early  and  late  hours  in  enlarg- 
ing his  resources  of  information  and  learning.  His  ac- 
quaintance with  the  world's  best  literature,  with  the 
different  schools  of  philosophy  and  theological  thought, 
together  with  the  facility  he  acquired  in  using  the 
funds  of  knowledge  gathered,  always  astonished  and 
pleased  his  friends.  Though  he  never  matriculated  as 
a  student,  he  attended  classes  in  Greek  and  theology 
in  Union  Biblical  Seminary  for  a  time  after  he  be- 
came editor  of  the  Religious  Telescope.  Later  he  stud- 
ied German,  and  became  so  proficient  in  the  use  of  the 
language  that  he  was  able  to  make  considerable  use  of 
it  in  a  colloquial  way.  His  studious  habits  were  quite 
remarkable  for  one  who  had  led  such  a  busy  life.  To 
make  these  varied  acquisitions  meant  years  of  almost 
incessant  labor  and  study.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore, 
that  his  vital  powers  should  have  become  exhausted  in 
the  midst  of  his  greatest  usefulness,  and  at  the  height 
of  his  influence,  and  that  his  career  should  have  sud- 
denly been  brought  to  a  close  at  so  early  an  age. 


2<H)    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Jlott 

How  much  he  lived  and  how  well  he  wrought  in  forty 
busy  years !  Those  not  familiar  with  his  active  life 
can  little  appreciate  the  amount  of  work  he  really  did, 
and  with  what  jealousy  almost  every  hour  of  time  was 
redeemed.  Much  of  his  best  work  was  done  while  rid- 
ing on  trains  in  his  extensive  travels — reading  books 
and  magazines,  writing  editorials,  and  preparing  ser- 
mons and  addresses  for  special  occasions. 

All  this  meant  laborious  travel  and  ceaseless  tension. 
Such  a  life  should  have  had  frequent  seasons  of  pro- 
longed relaxation.  Alas,  however,  he  found  little  time 
for  "unbending  the  bow";  but,  as  has  been  indicated 
previously,  his  chief  relaxation  came  in  the  unbending 
which  a  merry  heart  afforded  in  the  fellowship  of  his 
family  and  other  close  friends. 

It  was  in  his  earnest,  happy  Christian  life,  however, 
that  Bishop  Hott,  after  all,  was  most  distinguished. 
His  whole  career  was  dominated  by  religion.  He  was 
a  devout  and  regular  reader  of  the  Bible  in  the  early 
morning.  He  never  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  day 
without  prayer.  Even  in  his  travels  he  never  went  to 
sleep  on  the  train  without  prayer,  his  petitions  includ- 
ing the  engineer. 

There  was,  too,  marvelous  uniformity  in  his  re- 
ligious zeal  and  spirit.  He  had  not  two  lives,  one  re- 
ligious and  the  other  secular.  There  were  no  moun- 
tain-top and  valley  experiences  alternating  with  the 
seasons,  or  resultant  from  his  own  feelings,  physical  or 
mental,  or  from  his  surroundings,  in  his  life,  as  is 
often  the  case,  even  with  many  devout  people.  His 
whole  life  was  one  of  uniform  and  irrevocable  devo- 
tion to  his  divine  Master.  Even  his  mirthfulness  and 
humor  that  so  enriched  and  brightened  his  life,  his 
playful  moods,  and  the  bits  of  fun  that  ever  and  anon 
spiced  his  conversation  and  his  writings,  were  never  a 
reflection  on  his  religious  character  or  his  consecration 
to  God.     In  his  humorous  moments  he  was  reverent, 


Conclusion  207 

and  in  his  most  serious  moods  and  efforts  he  was  often 
humorous.  In  all  this  there  was  a  spontaneity  and 
naturalness  that  strongly  appealed  to  the  hearts  of 
those  who  saw  and  heard  him. 

As  indicating  Bishop  Hott's  devout  spirit  and  life- 
long religious  habits  in  daily  living,  a  few  extracts 
from  his  diary  are  worth  quoting.  On  New  Year's  day, 
1876,  he  wrote:  "God  is  on  his  throne  and  Jesus  is  my 
Redeemer.  Because  Christ  lives  I  am  willing  to  begin 
this  year.  How  poor,  how  weak!  but  Jesus  is  strong 
and  I  am  his.  This  morning  I  look  up  to  Christ  as  I 
never  did  before.  O  Jesus,  thou  hast  saved  me;  keep 
thine  arms  around  me !  I  must  seek  to  become  wiser 
and  better  each  day,  and  must  do  some  good  every  day. 
Amen." 

Two  days  after  the  funeral  of  Bishop  Edwards  this 
was  his  entry :  "I  cannot  escape  the  gloom  which  comes 
upon  me  at  the  remembrance  of  the  loss  of  our  dear 
Brother  Edwards."  Then,  quoting  from  the  bishop's 
last  words,  "I  would  like  to  live  to  preach  salvation 
through  Christ  alone,  if  it  is  the  will  of  the  Lord,"  he 
adds  this  prayer,  "Oh,  may  the  Lord  bring  me  near  to 
Christ  my  Savior.  Jesus,  make  me  all  thine  own*.  Oh, 
do!" 

These  are  characteristic  records  from  his  diary,  and 
are  indicative  not  only  of  a  spiritual  mind,  but  of  the 
prayer  habit  of  his  life.  In  one  case  the  entry  scorns 
to  have  been  in  the  morning,  and  is  as  follows:  "I  be- 
gin this  day  with  a  new  spirit  of  consecration  and 
prayer.  O  God,  bless  me."  He  began  and  closed  the 
day  in  a  devotional  attitude.  This  was  the  rule  of  his 
life  from  his  boyhood.  To  this  must  be  attributed  his 
luminous  and  hopeful  Christian  experience.  He  was 
in  daily  touch  with  the  divine  One,  and  his  supplies 
for  the  freshening  and  fructifying  of  his  heart  and  life 
were  drawn  from  the  living  fountains. 

It  was  Bishop  Hott's  prayer  life,  his  close  fellowship 


2U8    Life  and  Career  of  James    William  Hott 

with  God,  that  put  into  all  his  religious  exercises  so 
much  freshness  and  fragrance.  His  religion  was  of  the 
optimistic  type,  because  born  of  a  large  and  unwaver- 
ing faith.  This  was  manifest  in  his  public  prayers, 
his  preaching,  and  daily  living. 

He  loved  the  house  of  God,  and  was  a  constant  and 
sincere  worshiper  in  it.  When  not  preaching  he  gladly 
took  the  place  of  a  humble  disciple  of  his  Master,  par- 
ticipating in  the  worship  with  enthusiastic  delight.  He 
joined  heartily  in  the  singing,  he  listened  eagerly  to  the 
preaching,  and  his  whole  soul  responded  to  the  breath- 
ings of  prayer,  and  to  the  messages  of  truth.  On  go- 
ing into  the  house  of  the  Lord  it  was  his  custom  to 
assume  a  reverent  attitude,  to  bow  his  head  and  offer 
a  silent  prayer  for  the  divine  blessing.  This  was  his 
rule  whether  at  home  or  among  strangers,  and  it  no 
doubt  had  much  to  do  in  stimulating  a  keen  spiritual 
appetite,  and  in  promoting  growth  in  the  graces  of  the 
Spirit,  and  in  power  in  Christian  service.  Of  this  we 
are  sure,  he  had  a  very  high  appreciation  of  the  privi- 
leges and  value  of  the  Sabbath  day.  In  the  last  weeks 
of  his  life,  when  confined  to  his  home,  he  would  ex- 
press on  the  Sabbath  a  great  and  fervent  desire  to  be 
once  again  in  the  house  of  God.  And  the  testimony  of 
the  family  is :  "How  beautifully  he  would  talk  to  us 
all  on  those  Sabbaths.  He  would  dwell  on  the  past, 
and  the  sweet  and  perfect  home  life  of  the  years  agone 
would  sing  itself  into  language  that  brought  tears  to 
our  eyes  and  added  a  hundredfold  to  the  sacredness  of 
God's  holy  day." 

The  bishop  was  ever  loyal  to  his  Church.  He  knew 
and  loved  the  Church  of  his  parents  and  of  his  early 
choice.  Though  ever  loyally  devoted  to  the  interests 
and  work  of  his  own  denomination,  he  was  not  secta- 
rian or  narrow  in  his  feelings  or  affiliations.  He  was  a 
man  of  generous  impulses  and  broad  sympathies.  He 
was  himself  a  liberal  giver  to  Christian  causes,  for  one 


Conclusion  2  09 

of  his  ability.  He  practiced  economy  in  his  own  per- 
sonal expenses  that  he  might  be  able  to  give.  His  gen- 
erosity far  exceeded  the  tenth  in  his  gifts.  He  gave 
freely  as  he  was  prospered,  and  he  gave  to  all  the  in- 
terests of  the  Church,  but  he  seemed  most  interested  in 
the  colleges,  Union  Biblical  Seminary,  and  missions. 
He  gave  many  hundreds  of  dollars  to  these  great  in- 
terests. The  young  men  in  the  ministry  of  the  Church 
can  never  know  how  he  loved  them  and  what  large 
plans  and  hopes  he  had  for  them.  His  enthusiasm  and 
regard  for  them,  and  his  desire  for  their  best  possible 
furnishing,  in  mind  and  heart,  for  their  work,  literally 
knew  no  bounds.  These  are  among  the  practical  fruits 
of  his  full  consecration  of  himself,  his  gifts,  and  his 
possessions  to  the  use  of  his  divine  Master,  in  promot- 
ing his  kingdom  here  in  the  earth. 

Bishop  Hott  was  alike  practical  and  helpful  in  his 
local  church  relations  and  work.  For  eight  years  I 
was  a  member  of  the  same  church  to  which  he  belonged. 
We  were  both  teachers  in  the  Sunday  school.  I  can 
testify  to  his  great  helpfulness  in  carrying  local  re- 
sponsibilities in  church  work,  of  his  deep  interest  in 
his  class  and  their  spiritual  good,  of  his  real  instinct 
for  souls,  of  his  wise  counsel  to  inquirers  in  times  of 
revival,  of  his  ready  and  loyal  support  of  his  pastor  in 
his  plans  and  methods,  and  in  preaching  for  him  fre- 
quently, of  the  joyousness  with  which  he  participated 
in  the  services  of  the  holy  communion,  and  of  the  lib- 
eral financial  support  which  he  gave  to  all  the  inter- 
ests of  both  the  local  and  general  Church.  There  are 
very  hallowed  memories  which  gather  about  those  years 
of  fellowship  and  service  in  the  Master's  cause. 

Bishop  Hott's  regard  for  order,  accuracy,  neatness, 
thoroughness  was  apparent  in  all  the  details  and  habits 
of  his  daily  life.  He  possessed  the  genius  of  pains- 
taking industry.  He  hnd  a  splendid  vocabulary  of 
good  English  which  he  had  at  ready  command.    He  did 

14 


210    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

not  often  repeat  himself.  Even  on  like  occasions,  or 
when  speaking  or  writing  on  the  same  theme,  he  had 
marvelous  facility  in  injecting  new  elements,  which 
contributed  immeasurably  to  timeliness  and  power. 
All  these  qualities  were  markedly  prominent  in  his 
life,  and  had  an  important  bearing  on  every  phase  of 
his  useful  career.  Those  who  knew  him  well  can  best 
appreciate  this  statement,  and  yet  even  they  may  not 
have  been  conscious  of  the  real  secret  of  his  power — 
his  strong  heart  life  and  his  intellectual  sincerity  and 
integrity.  It  was  his  inner  life,  so  deep  and  vigorous, 
which  so  distinctly  influenced  and  controlled  his  outer 
life. 

In  thus  attempting  to  present  a  true  life-sketch  of 
the  career  of  the  noble-souled,  tireless,  and  consecrated 
Bishop  Hott,  the  aim  has  been  to  make  the  story  of 
his  prodigious  activities  and  achievements  a  practical 
lesson,  especially  to  the  young.  Here  is  the  outline  of 
the  lesson :  To  be  well  born  is  to.  be  well  taught ;  the 
training  of  a  child  begins  with  the  training  of  the 
parents;  the  place  and  importance  of  the  home  in  lay- 
ing permanent  foundations  for  character  and  useful- 
ness ;  the  reality  and  value  of  early  piety ;  the  possibili- 
ties of  industrious  and  studious  habits;  what  a  con- 
scientious regard  for  duty,  prayer,  and  unwavering 
confidence  in  God's  word  will  do;  the  essential  impor- 
tance of  unreserved  devotion  to  our  work;  the  power 
and  worth  of  the  individual ;  how  one  man  may  be  used 
to  do  a  great  work.  Where  could  worthier  lessons  be 
found  ? 

Such  a  life  is  a  rich  legacy  to  friends,  the  Church, 
and  the  world.  It  is  an  assuring  beacon  light  to  all 
whose  lot  is  cast  in  poverty  and  necessitated  struggle. 
Indeed,  it  is  more;  it  is  an  urgent  and  abiding  sum- 
mons to  us  all  to  unquestioning  faithfulness  in  the  use 
of  God-given  talents;  for  it  is  faithfulness  in  the  use 
of  entrusted  gifts,  rather  than  the  mere  possession  of 


Conclusion  2 1 1 

them,  that  makes  any  life  great  or  deserving  of  honor. 
Fidelity  is  the  one  supreme  law  and  test  of  character 
and  permanent  usefulness. 

Few  men  have  exceeded  Bishop  Hott  in  the  quality 
of  his  work,  and  in  the  wide  extent  of  his  influence,  and 
all  because  he  performed  faithfully  the  work  committed 
to  him  by  the  Lord.  His  life,  therefore,  should  be  an 
inspiration  to  preachers  and  others,  old  and  young. 
It  happily  exemplifies  the  results  of  a  life  of  right- 
eousness. It  portrays  the  beauty  and  rewards  of  a  life 
spent  in  the  service  of  his  fellow-men. 

It  is  not  to  be  inferred  from  what  is  here  said,  how- 
ever, that  this  man  was  without  weaknesses  and  faults. 
He  was  sometimes  impulsive  in  speech  and  action;  he 
was  not  above  the  liability  to  error  in  judgment.  No, 
he  was  human ;  he  was  not  perfect ;  he  was  not  fault- 
less. No  one  was  more  deeply  conscious  of  his  failings 
than  he  was  himself ;  yet  he  was  a  man  of  God.  He  be- 
lieved himself  to  be  called  of  God  and  sent  of  God  to  do 
the  work  of  God,  and  to  this  end  he  gave  the  undivided 
and  unwearied  devotion  of  his  entire  being.  This  is 
godliness.  With  all  his  limitations,  his  controlling 
ambition  was  to  be  a  true  servant  of  Jesus  Christ.  To 
him  holiness  was  not  so  much  an  attainment  as  it  was 
a  right  attitude  toward  God,  in  trust,  obedience,  and 
love.  It  was  this  that  made  him  like  David  and  others, 
true  to  God,  "a  man  after  God's  own  heart."  In  his 
heart-attitude  and  relations  he  was  loyal  to  God  and 
men.  This  was  the  secret  of  the  power  he  wielded.  He 
was  indeed  a  good  man  and  useful  in  his  day  and 
generation.  He  has  finished  his  earthly  career.  His 
tired,  worn-out  body  rests,  but  his  influence  goes  on. 
He  lived  well  in  his  age,  and  he  will  live  in  future 
ages.  His  work  is  imperishable.  His  memory  shall 
not  fade.    He  shall  shine  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever. 

To  know  James  W.  Hott  in  his  earthly  relations  and 
ministries  was  to  respect,  esteem,  and  love  him.    May 


212    Life  and  Career  of  James  William  Hott 

those  who  learn  to  know  him  through  this  affectionate 
memorial  learn  likewise  to  appreciate  his  priceless  in- 
fluence and  to  emulate  his  virtues,  and  to  love  and 
serve  his  God.  In  this  way  his  memory,  now  so  fresh 
and  fragrant  in  affection  and  good  deeds,  shall  have 
immortality. 


INDEX. 


AFRICA,  Visit  to,  116,  118. 
Appreciations,  190. 

Baltzell,  I.,  31,  39. 
Beardshear,  Pres.  W.  M.,  72, 115, 

202. 
Bell,  Dr.  Wm.  M.,  197. 
Berger,  Dr.  D.,  63,  65, 103. 
Board  of  Missions,  123, 125, 198. 
Boonsboro  Circuit,  53. 

California  Conference,  108,  111. 
California,  Visit  to,  85, 124. 
Castle,  Bishop  N.,  72, 102, 127, 134. 
Civil  War,  45,  51. 
Chapman,  Rev.  E.  S.,  110. 
Churchville  Circuit,  52. 
Centennial  General  Conference, 

131. 
Centenary  Address,  132. 
Church  Council,  116. 
Church  Commission,  71, 100. 
Church  Division,  101. 
Church  Litigation,  127. 
Coast  District,  On,  104. 
Confession  of  Faith,  71, 100. 
Crowell,  Rev.  C.  H.,  52, 197. 
Crum,  Christian,  30. 

Dayton,  Ohio,  Removal  to,  59. 
Dayton,  Ohio,  Episcopal  Resi- 
dence in,  127. 
Diary  Extracts,  207. 
Drury,  Dr.  M.  R,  i>!»,  sr». 

Kast  Pennsylvania  Conference, 

117. 
Edenburg  Circuit,  45,  .50,  52. 


Editorial  Greetings,  67,  70,  TZ 

Editorial  Writings- 
Character  of,  74. 
Specimens  of,  79. 
Sayings  and  Epigrams,  85. 
Style,  78,  98. 

Edwards,  Bishop  D.,  64. 

Ecumenical  Conference,  70,  89, 
92. 

Evers,  Rev.  A.  M.,  45, 191. 

Fout,  Dr.  H.  H.,  129. 
Funkhouser,  Dr.  G.  A.,  115. 

General  Conferences,  52,53,  58, 

64,  69,  71,  100,  114,  126, 131. 
Germany,  Visit  to,  116, 122. 
Glossbrenner,  Bishop  J.  J.,  45, 

47,50. 

Hagerstown,  Removal  from,  59. 
Harper,  Rev.  E.,  200. 
Hartzler,  Dr.  H.  B.,  201. 
Home  Life,  182. 
Hott,  Bishop  J.  W.— 

Ancestry,  22. 

Birth,  24. 

Bishop,  100. 

Boyhood,  27. 

Boy  Preacher,  47. 

Call  to  the  Ministry,  43. 

Characteristics,  29,   62,  65,  74, 
126,  203. 

Conversion,  38. 

Death,  137. 

Early  Education,  34,  42. 

Editor  Religious  Telescope,  64. 


213 


214 


Index 


Election  to  General  Confer- 
ence, 52. 

Family,  55,  60. 

First  Sermon,  43. 

Funeral,  138. 

Habits,  209. 

Influence,  203. 

Last  Sermon,  181. 

Licensed  to  Preach,  45. 

Marriage,  48. 

Missionary  Treasurer,  59. 

Personal  Appearance,  58. 

Piety,  207. 

Physical  Breakdown,  69. 

Salaries,  54. 

Second  Marriage,  135. 

Sickness,  134. 

Titles,  70,  125. 
Hott,  Rev.  C.  M.,  110. 
Hott,  Rev.  Jacob  F.,  22,  25,  78. 
Hott,  Mrs.  Jane,  25,  78. 
Hott,  Mrs.  Martha  A.,  Death  of, 

129. 
Howe,  Rev.  J.  W.,  100, 191. 

Kanaga,  Dr.  J.  B.,  201. 
Kephart,  Bishop  E.  B.,  195. 
Lecturer  and  Lectures,  93,  9(i. 
Letters  and  Letter-Writing,  141. 
Lay  Delegation,  64,  114, 134. 
Los  Angeles  Mission,  112, 124. 

Maktinsburg  Circuit,  49. 
Mathews,  Dr.  Geo.  M.,  193. 
Meracle,  Wm.,  27. 
Mills,  Bishop  J.  S.,  196. 
Miller,  Dr.  D.  R.,  134. 
Missions,  Expansion  of,  123. 

Oregon  Conference,  104, 110, 114. 

Philomath  College,  105, 110. 
Preaching,  Character  of,  151. 

Robinson,  Thos.  W.,  35. 


San   Joaquin  Valley   College, 

107. 
Scioto  Conference,  163. 
Secret  Society  Question,  65,  71. 
Selma,  California,  Visit  to,  112. 
Sermon,  The  Interesting,  154. 
Sermons  and  Outlines— 

"How  Many  Loaves,"  158. 

"The    New  Commandment," 
161. 

"The  Mantle  of  the  Fathers," 
164. 

"The    Law    and    Motive    of 
Christian  Service,"  169. 
Shuey,  Dr.  W.  J.,  129, 194. 
Sinclair,  Mr.  D.  A.,  193. 
Social  Qualities,  185. 
Statton,  Rev.  I.  K.,  158. 
Stearn,  Rev.  C.  T.,  191. 
Stone  Church,  Old,  38. 

Tobey,  Rev.  W.  O.,  66. 
Travels,  89. 

United  Brethren  Quarterly  Re- 
view, 101. 

Union  Biblical  Seminary,  61, 
125,  128,  198,  205. 

Virginia  Conference,  45, 49, 197. 

Walla  Walla  Conference,  104, 
110,  114. 

Weekley,  Dr.  W.  M.,  198. 

Westerville,  Visit  to,  118. 

Woodbridge,  California,  Re- 
moval to,  106. 

Works,  Literary,  97. 

Young  People's  Christian 
Union,  109,  112,  125,  128. 

Young  Men,  Sympathy  for,  153, 
193. 


214 


